Don't Let Me Go
by LenenaxX
Summary: What is life without the one you love? How on earth are you supposed to live? How can you smile, laugh, breathe without them? Maka doesn't know what she's supposed to do anymore. All her hopes and dreams are lost. Or are they? What if they never really left you at all?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Welcome to my third fanfic! Just a warning: this is rated M for a reason. If you don't like sex and violence please don't read this. The first chapter isn't like that at all, I'm warning you for future chapters. To those of you who are reading it, Thank you! Please review! I'd love to read what you guys think! Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater no matter how much I wish I did. Now, enjoy chapter 1: The Beginning.**

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_His hands were warm as they trailed up and down her arms. She shuddered slightly at his touch. Her hands roamed his muscled chest. Their lips met and everything was perfect. There was nothing that could separate them. He took her bottom lip in his teeth and tugged slightly. She allowed her tongue free will as she explore his mouth. They moved towards the bed without anything having to be said. But, like always, she managed to slip at the most inappropriate times. They were falling and they didn't care. Her back never made contact with the cold floor._

She woke up with a start. Her back wasn't on the cold floor. Instead, she was in her bed. Alone. Tears began to fill up her eyes. Why'd she have to go and dream of that memory? It was so hard to live everyday, every second, without him. She turned on her side and looked at the clock. **2:23am,** it read. She closed her eyes as more tears silently flowed. She swallowed hard and gasped for breath, crying herself back to sleep…

"Hey Maka!" She turned toward the sound of her name.

"Oh, hey, Tsubaki." Maka's voice was raw and tired.

"You okay?" Tsubaki asked, finally taking in her friends depleted state. Maka nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just couldn't sleep is all." Tsubaki nodded, noting that Maka didn't want to talk about it. Tsubaki quickly recovered, babbling about Black Star and what crazy thing he did the night before. They made it to class without any incident but, like always, or rather, until recently, the entire class stared at Maka as she walked in. The whispers started as soon as she sat down. People looked at her with disbelief. _How on earth can she still be at the top of the class when something so traumatic has happened to her? How on earth can she still even function?_ There was disgust mixed in with the disbelief. _I could never do what she did. What the hell is she? _

Only those who were there still sat next to her. If she avoided her classmates before, now they were avoiding her. The whole incident served as reality check for the rest of the DWMA student body. It was cruel and harsh reminder that the world is dangerous and even the best can falter. The gossip didn't stop until the professor walked in.

"Maka, Lord Death wants a word with you," he said. The class went into a silent uproar. _I bet he's going to kick her out. It's about time! I wonder why… _Maka heard every single whisper, every new rumor. She kept her chin up not because she really wanted to- she'd rather go curl up into a corner- but because he would have told her to. She walked out of the classroom with her dignity still somewhat intact.

Once outside, she took a shaky breath. She closed her eyes and fought back the tears. _They don't know; they weren't there_, she reminded herself. Once she felt that her legs could move, she walked to Lord Death's room. She wasn't expecting the sight she saw.

Inside was Lord Death, Death Scythe, Professor Stein, Death the Kid, and the rest of the DWMA administration staff standing in an arc in front of a chair.

"Hello Maka," Lord Death began seriously. Maka quickly assed the situation. Her heart rate sped up as she figured out why she was here.

"Hello Lord Death, Father, every one else," she said slowly.

"Maka," Death the Kid started, "Please have a seat." She eyed the chair in the middle of the room.

"I'd rather stand." Her vice was monotone. She looked at every one's face. She felt her heart break as she saw that they were all in agreement. Her throat constricted, her stomach lurched, and tears began to prick at the corner of her eyes.

"Maka," her father started. _No, no, this isn't happening_. "We've been talking," her hands began to shake. "And we've come to the conclusion that, maybe," her balance was faltering. "It's time for you to find a new weapon."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Welcome to chapter 2! Thank you for getting this far! Please review, it means a lot to me! This is rated M for a reason. Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater! Now, enjoy chapter 2: Two in One**

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Maka collapsed. An new partner? What the hell were they thinking? Did they honestly think that she could replace Soul? Her father and Death the Kid rushed to her side as she fell. They caught her and sat her on the chair. She stared at her hands, hands that had once held Soul as her weapon, her lover, and her best friend. Her tears of despair quickly turned into tears of anger.

"No." Her voice was so quiet not even her father heard her.

"Maka?" Lord Death asked. She looked up, absolute rage emanating from her eyes. Stein looked at her with curiosity.

"No," she said. Her voice was loud, clear, and hard. She heard a couple of sighs from the people in the room. And she hated them. "No," she repeated.

"Maka, listen," her father began earnestly but she interrupted him.

"No, you listen. All of you listen." She stood from the chair with a new resolve. "Soul was my one and only and he always will be. Asking me to find a new partner is like asking me to cut out my heart. I won't do it. Go ahead and kick me out if you have to but I won't do it." They all stared at her as if she were a lost kitten, with pity. She hated them. Some of them had lost partners before. Some of them had lost lovers and best friends before. But, none of them had lost some one who was all three. She hated them. She hated them! She was strong. She was brave. She wasn't afraid...

She was alone...

She looked down as tears fell from her eyes again. She was so done with everyone. She was angry and depressed. Frustrated, she closed her eyes and turned to punch the chair before she hurt anyone. Instead of hearing a crack, she heard a slice.

She opened her eyes to see that her arm had turned into a scythe. She heard gasps from the administrators who didn't know she was half weapon. Keeping her arm as a scythe, she turned around to face the other people in the room, an idea in her head. Lord Death smiled at the resolve in the teen's eyes.

"I'll be my own weapon." There was no question about it. She stared down Lord Death, daring him to challenge her. It was quiet for a moment before Spirit jumped up.

"No, Maka, that's way too dangerous! You can't!"

"Spirit," Lord Death began. "I understand your concern for your daughter but, this is something that she needs to do." Spirit looked at his daughter. Lord Death was right. Maka needed a way to cope and move on with her life. He sighed. "You can leave now, Maka," Lord Death continued. Soon after, Lord Death dismissed the other administrators until just Spirit and Stein were left.

"Well, that was interesting," Stein muttered to himself.

"What did you see, Stein?" Lord Death asked.

"Are you talking about her soul?" Spirit asked. Lord Death nodded. The Grimm Reaper and the Death Scythe stared at the meister, waiting for an answer. Stein turned the screw in his head a couple of times before responding.

"Her soul, immediately after losing her weapon, had begun to fade. It presence was disappearing. It looked like she was about to drop dead at any moment."

"Why didn't you say anything!?" Spirit got in Stein's face, holding him by his coat. "That's my daughter, dammit! Don't you think I should've been told that information!?"

"What would you have done, Spirit?" Stein asked calmly. "When a soul is disappearing from something that isn't a physical wound, what can you do?" Spirit relaxed a little. "Or how about when a soul is dying because it's sad? There is nothing you can do." Spirit released Stein and stepped away.

"Continue, Stein," Lord Death said quietly. Stein nodded.

"Anyways, when she turned into a weapon her soul seemed to waver." This caused confusion to spread across the other two's faces. "It split into two."

"What?" Spirit wondered out loud.

"When she made the conscience decision to become her own weapon her," Stein continued, "her soul didn't become one again." Stein stopped to turn the screw a couple of more times.

"Explain that Stein," the Grimm Reaper commanded.

"The two parts of her soul went through soul resonance."

"Is that even possible?" Spirit asked to no one in particular. Lord Death looked at Spirit.

"It seems as though your daughter has two souls inside of her."


	3. Chapter 3

**Woo! Here's the third chapter! A really really REALLY big shout out to my first reviewer, vivalarapture! Thank you so much! You made my life! Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater, though I wish I did. So, please read and review, thank you! Chapter three: Breaking down BTW: this is a re-upload, I noticed one too many mistakes :P**

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The first couple of days of weapon training were extremely difficult. Maka couldn't quite transform into her weapon form at will. And when she, did she knew she wasn't at her full potential. She looked at Marie and Justin. These were weapons that didn't need a meister. She looked at Stein who didn't need a weapon. If they could do it then, dammit, so could she! Maka tried asking Tsubaki and the Thompson sisters for advice, but they _were_ weapons. Transforming was like breathing to them.

Two weeks into training Maka was finally able to transform her hands into scythes, with blades protruding from her elbows and shoulders. She was in the middle of cutting down wood dummies when Professor Stein round house kicked her in the back. She fell face first, and ate a big chunk of dirt. She coughed as she stood up.

"Dammit Professor, there's a better way to get someone's attention," she managed to cough out. Stein simply turned the screw in his head.

"If you're going to be by yourself on missions you need to learn to never let your guard down. You don't have anyone to watch your back anymore." Maka glared at him.

"What do you need, _Professor_," she snapped. He grinned.

"My, my, how you've changed," he mused. "If only dissecting the mind was as easy as dissecting the body." Maka rolled her eyes.

"If you don't have anything, then let me get back to my training," she said a little softer. Maka turned to leave, when Stein called out to her.

"You're closer than you think!" She stopped in her tracks.

"Closer to what?", she asked, as she turned back around to face him. And what she saw stopped her breathing.

"Heh, don't be such a spaz; it's not cool," _he_ said, standing in front of her.

"Soul," she breathed. He gave her his classic smug grin…

Then next thing she knew, she was on the ground, her hands clawing at her heart, screaming at the top of her lungs, Stein was shaking her shoulders.

"Maka! Maka, wake up! Come back!" The moment her eyes made contact with Stein's, she snapped back to reality. Stein held her shoulders, scared that she would collapse.

"I-I'm sorry," Maka whispered.

"It's okay," Stein replied. "Maybe you should go home and get some rest." Maka nodded, stood, and walked home. Stein sat on the ground for a while. "Well now," he thought out loud, "What just happened?"

_They were under the covers, kissing and touching. Her heart was racing in her chest. His mouth left hers in search of new skin. He kissed her cheek all the way down to her collar bone. Her hands tangled in his hair. She gasped as he slipped a finger underneath the waist band of her skirt. Her heart was ready to jump out of her chest. She wasn't ready for anything like that! She was about to tell him to stop when he chuckled against her neck. _

"_Were you about to let me?" he asked, his voice breathy and deep. Just the sound of his voice was enough to send her over the edge._

"_N-no," she stuttered. He laughed. "Don't laugh at me!" She playfully smacked his shoulder. He laughed some more, making her laugh with him. He picked his head up and looked at her. His eyes were piercing. She could stare into them all day. He picked up her left hand and kissed it._

"_Tomorrow we leave to England," he began softly. He kissed her hand. "Please__**, please**__, be careful," he said softly, staring at her hand the whole time. With the same hand he held, she turned his face towards her. She leaned up on her right elbow and kissed him. _

_The kiss was long, deep, and sensual. She pressed her chest against his. Shivers ran down her spine as he moaned into her mouth. Her arms wrapped around his neck and held him close. He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought them to a sitting position. She straddled him, loving every minute. _

_Her lips now did the exploring. She kissed and sucked his neck. His hands roamed her back but stopped in their path as she sat down on him. He inhaled a sharp breath as he felt her through their clothes. She moaned into his neck, feeling him grow underneath his pants. _

"_Maka," he breathed out. Her hands found themselves under his shirt. She felt every muscle. Her hands paused at the scar. Her heart clenched at the memory of how he got it. She looked into his eyes, hands still on the scar. Seeing her expression, he cupped her face in his hands._

"_I will always protect you," he told her, his voice filled with conviction. _

"_I-" she began, but was cut off with a kiss. _

"_You can tell me when we get back," he smiled. "Come on," he continued, laying them back down, "Let's go to sleep." She curled into his chest and fell asleep in his arms…_

"Wait, what?", Spirit asked, confused as hell. Stein sighed. He thought he was being pretty clear.

"Yes, explain it again," Lord Death backed up his death scythe.

"I'm not sure, and I could be wrong," Stein started again, "But when Maka collapsed, again, her soul split in two, and one of them resembled Soul's." Silence filled the room. The clouds rolled by softly.

"The first time it split, you didn't see Soul?", the Grimm Reaper asked. Stein shook his head.

"Another thing," Stein continued, "Have you guys seen Maka's scythes?" The reaper and scythe shook their heads. "Well, they're starting to resemble Soul."

"But Maka is a weapon herself," Spirit interjected.

"I know," Stein replied simply.

"Is it possible for someone to transfer their soul into another person's right before they die?" the Grimm Reaper asked.

"It's never been done, or attempted. And if it has, it's never been recorded," Stein answered calmly.

"Is it possible that because of her mental state, she's creating his soul?" Stein and Lord Death were both shocked to hear this coming out of Spirit's mouth.

"I hadn't thought of that," Lord Death admitted.

"I did but I didn't want to mention it," Stein stated. "I'm surprised you came to that all on your own, Spirit."

"So either Soul did something that's never been heard of or, she's crazy?" A new voice entered the conversation.

"What are you doing here, Kid" Stein asked.

"As the future Grimm Reaper, I think I have the right to be a part of this situation. And Maka is my friend as well. We're all trying to get over losing Soul; he was everyone's best friend. For god's sake, it's only been eight months! We never found his body. Do you know what that does to a person? Maka's a rational person. She weighed the odds of Soul's survival and logically knew that it was near impossible for him to still be alive. But, when there's no dead body, there's that stupid thing called hope. I don't think she's given up on him, not yet at least."

"What do you think?" Lord Death asked his son.

"I-I think he's dead," Kid said quietly.

"And what about you, Black Star?", Stein called out. Black Star appeared out of the shadows.

"I was hoping he was still alive, until about three months ago," he said with his head down.

"What about your weapons?", Lord Death asked the meisters.

"Patty and Liz also think he's dead…"

"Tsubaki thinks he's dead but she lies to Maka, trying to comfort her," Black Star's voice was on the edge of tears.

"He's not dead." All five of the males turned to the only female voice. Maka stood with her chin held high.

"Maka," her father sighed.

"I came to ask you guys the exact same question. Do you think he's dead?" Maka stared at the Grimm Reaper, Stein, and her father. It was Stein who spoke first.

"I think he's dead," Stein said, turning the screw in his head and carefully watching her soul. Her gaze shifted to her father.

"Yes," he said quietly, avoiding his daughter's eyes. "I think he's dead." She looked at the one person whose opinion mattered most.

"I believe that Soul Eater Evens is dead," Lord Death said in a firm voice. Hearing his name out loud sent new pangs of pain into her chest. She made one sad laugh in disbelief.

Maka squared her shoulders, held her chin up, said goodbye, and left.

When she made it back to her apartment she threw herself onto the couch. She took a deep breath. His scent still lingered. She sat up and faced the door to his bedroom. She had refused to go in there ever since he disappeared.

Now, she needed to go in there. She wiped her tears and walked over to the door, her hand on the door knob. Half of her wanted to open the door to find him there asleep with his head hanging off the side of his bed. Half of her wanted to open the door and see him scribbling away at some sheet music. All of her just wanted to see him. She took a deep breath and swung the door open.

She took one look around. She couldn't believe her eyes. She stepped in and stared at every corner in the room. And that right there was the problem. She could see every corner.

…His room was completely empty…

"_I will always protect you," he told her, his voice filled with conviction. _

"_I-" she began but was cut off with a kiss. _

"_You can tell me when we get back," he smiled. _

"I'm back," she whispered to the walls, "So where are you?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everybody! Thank you so much for reading this little story of mine :D Just a reminder that this is rated M for future chapters! A big thank you to vivalarapture for reviewing! You're amazing! :D I also have to give credit to my amazing friend Nora for helping me proof read all my chapters! So, please review! It would mean the world to me. Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater, sadly. Enjoy chapter 4: something's not right**

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Lord Death was silently contemplating life in his office when he heard the front door being kicked in. He sighed. It wouldn't be the first time. He turned to see a furious Maka fast-walking toward him.

"What did you do?!" she yelled, her voice octaves above her usual pitch.

"What are you talking about, Maka?" Lord Death asked, truly confused.

"All of Soul's things, where are they?!" Maka was seeing red. First they drop the "time-to-get-a-new-partner" crap and now this?! She didn't think so. "Where the hell is it?!"

"Maka, calm down. I don't know what you're talking about."

"Like hell you don't!" She didn't have time for this shit!

"Watch your tone, Maka," Lord Death said slipping into his real voice. Hearing the warning, Maka relaxed a little bit. She took a deep breath and started over.

"All of Soul's things are gone. I haven't been in his room since we left to England. But, I went in today, and it's spotless. Everything is gone. There's not even dust…" Her voice trailed off. Lord Death contemplated this.

It was strange. Who would clean out Soul's room? Was it friend or foe? When had it been cleared out? Did it have any connection to Maka's splitting soul? At this point there were too many holes. Lord Death looked at Maka's expecting expression.

"I didn't, nor did I order anyone to clean out Soul's room," he said finally. It was hard for Maka to accept. If it wasn't the DWMA, then who was it? And, the question was, why?

"Maka," Lord Death interrupted her thoughts, "Go home and rest. It's one o'clock in the morning." Shocked, Maka looked at her watch. Sure enough, it was one in the morning.

"Oh," she said dejectedly. "Okay. Goodnight, Lord Death." She left with blank eyes.

_Just what the hell is going on here_, Lord Death thought, as he watched Maka leave.

"It's what!?" Kid, Black Star, and their weapons all yelled simultaneously. The whole group was at a café for dinner. They _were _drinking tea until Maka told them about Soul's room being cleared. Now Maka had tea spit in her face. She cleaned her face before speaking again.

"I went into his room last night and it was empty; everything, gone," her voice was quiet.

"I need to see this," Black Star said while getting out of his chair.

"Me too," said Kid second.

"It seems so weird," Liz muttered.

"Haha, all his things are gone!" Patty yelled as her usually oblivious self. They all stood up except for Tsubaki and Maka. Tsubaki put an arm around Maka.

"Guys," Tsubaki called out, "Don't you think it might be too much for Maka?" Everyone's determination wavered.

"No, it's okay," Maka said, "You guys go on ahead. I'll meet you guys there." Black Star squared his shoulders.

"There, Maka said it. Let's go, Kid." The four of them left towards Maka's apartment.

"Are you okay?" Tsubaki asked Maka. Maka was staring at her tea.

"Yeah," Maka nodded. Tsubaki held her close. She couldn't even begin to imagine life without her partner. _Poor Maka_, he thought.

The gang of four stared into the open doorway. They had made it to Maka's apartment alright, but as soon as they opened the door, no one wanted to go in. Black Star and Kid stood there arguing about what to do while Patty span in circles and Liz filed her nails. That was the exact situation Maka and Tsubaki walked into.

"What's going on?" Tsubaki asked.

"Tsubaki! Tell Kid that we should go in there!" Black Star yelled at his weapon.

"Tell your partner that this needs to go the police!" Kid countered.

"The police?" Tsubaki muttered, as Maka slipped out from under her arm. "Why the police?" Every one stopped when they heard Maka's little yelp. Her hands were at her mouth, trying not to scream. Without thinking, Maka walked into her apartment.

The apartment was a complete mess. The couch was stripped and turned over. Every drawer, desk, and cabinet was emptied. Her pictures were taken out of their frames. Someone had searched her apartment.

The rest of the gang followed her in.

"Jeez," Liz said.

"Remember, don't touch anything. This is a crime scene," Kid reminded Patty.

"Who could have done this?" Tsubaki asked to no one in particular.

"Maka," Kid started, "Do you see anything missing?" She shook her head. "No. I don't know." Every one continued to look around the room when Black Star remembered something.

"Guys," he started, "What about Soul's room?" Everyone looked at Maka and waited for her answer. Maka simply walked into her own room. It was no different than the living room. She felt violated. Here she was, trying to become stronger, trying to make it on her own, and someone just waltzed right in and tore through everything she owned. Maka looked to her desk and noticed that her picture frame was on its face. She picked it up.

It was a picture of her and Soul. She stared at it every night. But she wouldn't be staring at it any more. The half that was Soul was gone. Ripped out. Just like he was ripped out of her life. Maka dropped the picture and ran straight to Soul's room. She swung the door open.

She fell to her knees, shaking.

The room's walls were covered in post-it's with her name written on them. And in the middle of the floor there was an envelope that also had her name on it.

"Maka," she heard Kid faintly, "The police are here."

The police took pictures of everything. But they didn't find any fingerprints, hair, shoe prints, anything that could be of help in any way. There were no signs of forced entry. No sign of magic used. The other half of Maka's picture was found in the kitchen trash. So, someone had a key. Or….someone was making it up….

"Do you understand what we're saying, Mr. Albarn?" The police had just finished their explanation to Spirit and Lord Death. Spirit shook his head.

"No, I don't. You're suggesting that my daughter did this herself?" The police nodded. "That's ridiculous! Maka's not like that. She's an honest girl!" Spirit was in full defense of his daughter. The police just sighed.

"We'll keep in touch," they said, right before they left.

"You can't possibly believe that Maka would do this herself, do you?" Spirit asked Lord Death.

"I think it's best if Maka stays with you for a little while, Spirit," Lord Death suggested.

"Keep a close eye on her," Stein added. "That goes for you as well, Kid and Tsubaki."

"Understood," the teens answered.

"Where is Maka now?" Tsubaki asked timidly. Spirit sighed.

"In the interrogation room down at the police station," Spirit spat between his lips.

"I'm not worried," Tsubaki tried comforting Spirit. "They'll see that it wasn't her. It's not like she has any criminal charges against her."

"Exactly," Kid jumped in. "They can't get you for making a mess in your own home." Tsubaki nudged Kid in his side.

"What he means is that they'll realize that her apartment really was broken into and start looking for the one who did it," Tsubaki put on her most convincing smile. Spirit smiled a little.

"Thank you, Tsubaki. I appreciate it."

Down in the interrogation room Maka was sitting with her hands in her lap. She didn't understand why she was here. Shouldn't the police be looking for the one who ruined her apartment? She flinched a little when the door slammed open.

"Ms. Maka Albarn, is it?" She looked up at the detective. He was round and balding. He had her case file in one hand and a Ziploc bag in the other. Maka nodded. "I'm detective Holter and it seems as though you're in quite a bit of a mess." Her eyebrows knitted.

"A mess?" She repeated softly. Detective Holter nodded and tossed the Ziploc bag on to the table.

"You can start by explaining that," he said rather harshly.

Inside the bag was the envelope with her name on it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Surprise! Here's the next chapter, a day early! I'm actually a few chapters ahead so I thought that you guys might like two chapters! The next one will be posted Wednesday as planned. Some of you may notice that I changed the rating. As I kept writing I noticed that there aren't really any scenes worthy of an M rating. Meh. I'm keeping that option open though. So, if there does come a chapter worthy of an M rating, I shall let you know. :D Anyways, first of all thank you to all the people that have reviewed! Yes, I'm looking at you vivalarapture, chloe200999, and LeprechaunGreen! And, also, a really big thank you to everyone following this story: 1rocker-chick, Amongthegreats, PrincessNeshh, crimsontouches, spiceypepper, and vivalarapture! You guys are amazing! :D I'm also greatly indebted to my dearest friend Nora! She proofreads all my chapters! Thank you Nora! Disclaimer: I don not own Soul Eater; I wouldn't be here if I did. Anyways, enjoys chapter 5: things just got serious**

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Maka stared at the envelope. In all honesty, she was scared to see what was inside. Her hands shook softly. She looked up at the detective desperately. He just stared her down with no mercy.

"Ca-can you just t-tell me what's inside?" she pleaded. Detective Holter shook his head. She swallowed air and looked back at the envelope. She couldn't even hide the fact that her hands were shaking as she reached for the bag. It took a couple of tries get it open. She didn't feel any more relieved when the envelope was in her hands.

"Do you notice anything about it?" Holter asked; Maka nodded.

"This is Soul's writing," she whispered.

"Anything else?" Maka shook her head. "In that case, open it." Maka did as she was told. She cursed her shaking hands as they made it difficult to take out what was inside. It was a letter, a piece of paper folded in three.

She didn't want to read what it said. She just wanted to go home. She was tired, mentally and physically. She wanted the police to deal with this. That was their job! She still didn't understand why she was there. She sighed and gathered the little courage she had left and unfolded the letter. Maka mentally prepared herself and turned off all her emotions. That plan failed as soon as she read the first two words.

"_Hey Maka," _it read.

"_I missed you today. I saw you at school. You had everything like the spaz you are. I didn't. xD_ _I will next time! Yes, I'll explain it to our teacher. Can't you cut me some slack? I'll come home as soon as possible. You'll be back before me…I want chocolate. I need some, in fact! :D Find some time to go to the store, yeah? Our mouths will be happy if you do! But first buy it! xD I will kiss you if you do this for me! Remember this: I love you._

_-Soul."_

Maka started to cry. She clutched the letter to her chest.

"Does it mean anything?" Holter asked.

"I don't know," she said through her tears. "It's written in his hand. But, it doesn't make any sense. I don't understand." She read it again. The detective thought about it for a while.

"Alright," he sighed. "Keep it and go home. We've already copied it." Maka stared at him, unable to comprehend anything anymore. He sighed again. "Go home, kid." Maka nodded finally and left.

As soon as she was out of sight of the police station, she ran. If this note was actually from Soul then something big was going on, something she didn't know about. But, Soul did. She looked at the letter in her hands. Of course she knew what it meant. She and Soul had used this code since they decided that they were best friends. Her heart rate accelerated.

She was at Kid's mansion in record time. Although Kid didn't think Soul was still alive, he was the only one she thought she could go to. He was the only one, besides Soul, who could keep up with her, when he wasn't distracted by his OCD.

Maka pounded on the door. There was no response. Irritated, she pounded again, still no response. The sun started to set. She was fifteen minutes in when she heard Patty's voice. Maka turned to see Patty and Liz walking up to the door.

"Oh, hey Maka," Liz said when they made eye contact.

"Um, hi," Maka said. "Is Kid here?" Liz shrugged.

"Don't know," Liz started. "Patty and I went to go eat and Kid went to see Lord Death." Maka simply nodded. "I don't know when he'll be back but, you can wait inside if you want." Liz gave a rueful smile.

"Thanks," Maka muttered. Once inside Maka went to sit on a couch while the Thompson sisters went up to their rooms. Maka sighed. It wasn't always this awkward between her and the sisters. They were never super close but, in Maka's mind, they were close enough. She'd hoped that, since they had been on the mission in England, they would still be close. Maka closed her eyes. She didn't notice she had fallen asleep until Kid was shaking her shoulder.

Maka sat up quickly and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"What are you doing here, Maka?" Kid asked softly. Maka looked around, trying to remember what she was doing there. It wasn't until she felt the letter still clutched in her hands that everything rushed back to her.

"I need your help." Kid nodded sat down next to her, not even bothering to ask her what she needed help with. "This is the letter from inside Soul's room." Maka handed the letter to him. He read once, then twice, and gave up on the third try.

"I don't understand," Kid admitted. Maka nodded.

"It's written in code," Maka said, her voice getting a little excited.

"Code?"

"Yeah, Soul and I have used this code since we were kids." Kid read the letter again.

"Are you sure it's not someone pretending to be Soul?" Kid asked. Maka shook her head.

"We've never told anyone this code before. He wouldn't do it now." Kid sighed. He felt bad for Maka. He looked at her face. Her eyes were gleaming. She thought she had something here. That hope was rising inside her at an incredible rate. He looked away. His heart broke for her a little bit.

"Do you know what the police are saying, Maka?" The question caught Maka off guard.

"N-no," she stuttered. "But does it matter? Soul is trying to tell me, tell us, something!" Kid put the letter down. He decided that she needed to know.

"Maka," he began slowly. "They think you did this." He couldn't look at her. He wasn't capable of seeing the confusion on her face. He continued, "They're saying that you're mentally unstable due to the traumatic experience you've gone through. There was no sign of any break in. And this note," Kid took a deep breath before continuing. "It only proves their point. If only you and Soul knew it, then, it makes sense that you would be the one who wrote it…"

Kid turned to face Maka. Tears were falling silently out of her eyes. She sniffled and picked up the letter. Maka understood now. They thought she was going crazy.

"I admit that it seems that way but, you have to believe me," she said in a firm voice. Kid nodded.

"I do." Maka stopped crying.

"You do?"

"Yeah," Kid started. "There's no way Soul would've gone down without a fight." A small smile crossed Maka's face. "And," Kid continued, "There's no way in hell he would've left you like that. It didn't make sense then, and it doesn't make sense now." Maka didn't know how to react to this.

"Actually, all of us believe you," Patty said, waltzing into the room. Maka looked up at her. "Right, Liz?" Liz made her entrance slowly.

"Yeah," Liz said. "Lord Death, Stein, and your father have been questioning us for some time."

"We've been telling them what they want to hear," Kid added. Maka, though happy to hear this, was confused.

"Then why didn't you tell me anything?" Maka asked.

"Because," Patty started, completely oblivious to the seriousness that the conversation demanded, "We still had doubt!" She giggled and span in a circle. Kid cursed at her ignorance.

"What if we're wrong?" Liz asked.

"What if he really is dead?" Kid added. "Then we would have to relive his death all over again. It would be as if he died twice." Maka nodded.

"What about Black Star and Tsubaki?" Maka asked. Kid nodded.

"They're in the same boat," he said. It felt as if though half of the burden had been lifted from Maka's shoulders. She took a deep breath to stop her tears from falling. A knock at the door stopped Maka from saying her thanks.

"Looks like Black Star and Tsubaki are here," Liz said before adding, "I called them over while Maka was explaining the letter was in code." They all flinched at the sound of the door being kicked in.

"Yeah, that's Black Star," Kid sighed.

"I'm here!" Black Star announced as he jumped onto the coffee table. Tsubaki quickly started apologizing to Kid. Maka looked up to see Soul's best friend. His eyes were fierce with determination. If there was proof that his best friend is still alive then, dammit, he was going to find him.

"Now," Black Start pointed at Maka, "Explain that letter!"


	6. Chapter 6

**As promised, here's chapter six! Did anyone figure out the code from the last chapter? I thought I was pretty clever xD Anyways, thank you to everyone who had reviewed my story! Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater... :( Enjoy chapter six: the code, h****is message**

* * *

"_Why do we need a code?"_

"_So we can talk to each other, without having to worry about other people knowing what we're talking about."_

"_Why can't we just talk in private?"_

"_Because this is smarter. And this way, we won't have to worry about people eavesdropping."_

"_Maka, you're making things hard."_

"_We're partners, right?"_

"_Right?"_

"_I'm the meister, right?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_That means you have to do what I tell you."_

"_What?! No it doesn't!"_

"_If I say we're making a code, then we're making a code! Got it?"_

"_Yeah, yeah... it's just so uncool."_

"_It'll be cool once we start using it," she assured her new partner. Soul looked at her and smiled. _

"_We need to make one first," he told her. Her answering smile almost blinded him. _

_The duo sat underneath a tree in the park. _

"_Should it be based on numbers or letters?"_

"_Both," Soul said halfheartedly._

"_You're right, that'll be better," Maka agreed. "Oh! How about the number of syllables?"_

"_Yeah? And what are we going to do with that?" Maka was stumped. She sat deep in thought as her partner stared up at the clouds. _

"_What if the number of syllables determines how many words there are in the real sentence?" Soul offered._

"_But where are we going to get the number of syllables?"_

"_We could count the number of A's or something?"_

"_No, it needs to be something quicker than that…" They sat in silence for a while, Soul actually thinking seriously about it._

"_Oh!" Soul exclaimed, sitting up. "The greeting! However many syllables the greeting has is how many words are in the real sentence!" Maka stared at her new partner in awe. He was smarter than he looked, apparently._

"_That's brilliant!" she exclaimed. "So now, how are we going to figure out which words are in the sentence?" Soul was stumped there. He lied back down and, this time, Maka joined him. The young duo stared up at the clouds, thinking. _

"_How old are you, Soul?" Maka asked randomly. They had been paired as partners only a week ago and she was curious. _

"_Nine," he answered. "You?"_

"_I'm eight." Soul snickered._

"_My meister is younger than me? That's so uncool," he mumbled. Maka chose to ignore that. It was just around lunch time and the sun was at its highest point. It was warm. The young duo was starting to see why they were paired together. Lying on the ground, not saying anything, on a warm spring day, it was peaceful. There was no awkwardness. It felt as if they could go on like that forever…_

"_What if it also has something to do with the greeting?" Soul offered. Maka thought about it._

"_I don't know," Maka mumbled. This code thing was turning out to be harder than she had originally thought. "Oh!" Maka finally figured it out._

"_What?" Soul asked as he looked at Maka getting up from lying down into a sitting position. __**Might as well sit up too**__, he thought as he did so. _

"_So the number of syllables determines how many words are in the real sentence, right?" She waited until Soul nodded. "What if that number also determines which word in the fake sentence is a word in the real sentence, in numerical order?" Soul stared at her. _

"_What?" he asked after a while. Maka repeated herself and Soul shook his head. "I don't understand," he said finally. Maka sighed. __**Maybe he isn't that smart**__, Maka thought and sighed. _

"_Let me show you an example." Maka found a stick and crawled over to patch of dirt by the tree's base. Soul silently followed her. "So the greeting is: Hello, how are you?, right?" She waited until Soul nodded. "So, there are five syllables. That means there are five words in the real sentence, right?" Again she waited for Soul to acknowledge that he understood. "Now what I'm saying is this," she trailed off as she began writing in the dirt. Soul looked over her shoulder and read._

"_Hello, how are you?" it began. _

"_I__ am doing well. I __really__ hope you are as well. Do you __like __to go swimming? I always eat __chocolate__ when I go swimming. I hold onto the __bars__ when I'm in the deep end." _

"_What are the underlined words?" he asked._

"_Those words are the real message," she said triumphantly. "The first word of the first sentence is the first word in the real message. The second word in the second sentence is the second word in the real message-"_

"_-And the third word in the third sentence is the third word in the real message, until it reaches five," Soul said finally understanding. Maka smiled._

"_Yes! Exactly! And then, if the letter is longer it would start over!" The young duo smiled at each other. _

"_Are you sure you're eight?" Soul teased Maka. She laughed._

"_Papa asks me that too." Soul sat back against the tree._

"_Maybe we should have one more rule," he thought out loud. _

"_Another rule?" Maka was starting to become confused with the boy next to her. Sometimes he was smart, then he wasn't, and then he was again. Soul nodded. "Like what?" she asked._

"_I think there should be a way to write a real message without it looking like one." Maka was in awe again._

"_Are you sure you're nine?" Maka teased back. Soul smiled at her. _

"_What's that two-dot thingy called?" Soul asked nonchalantly. _

"_A colon?"_

"_Yeah, that," Soul said. "What if, whatever comes after that is part of the real message?" Maka thought about it. It didn't seem too bad, just a little risky._

"_We don't have to do all the time," Soul added quickly. "Just sometimes." Maka thought about it some more before coming to the conclusion that she like Soul's idea. She smiled._

"_I like it," she said before quickly adding, "But we can only use it once in a letter and it has to have the same number of words as the greeting syllables. AND it has to come at the very end of the letter." Soul made his way to the patch of dirt. Maka read over his shoulder._

"_I hold onto the bars when I'm in the deep end," it read until Soul added the next sentence. "I want you to know something: __I can't swim__." Soul smiled. Maka looked at what he wrote and smiled back._

"_I don't think the colon is used right but, let's go with it," Maka said. Soul extended his hand._

"_Agreed?" he asked and the young duo shook on it. Suddenly, Maka tightened her grip on Soul's hand._

"_We have to swear to never, ever, tell anyone our code." Her grip tightened even more. Soul squirmed._

"_Yeah," he said quickly to prevent his hand from breaking. "I swear. I won't ever, ever, tell anyone our code." Maka released his hand. She smiled. Soul rubbed his hand. "You have to swear, too," he reminded her._

"_I swear to never, ever tell anyone our code," she said sarcastically as she placed her right hand over her heart. Soul chuckled. He was liking this new girl more and more…_

"So that's the code," Maka finished explaining it to her friends. A little part of her felt horrible as she broke her promise to never, ever tell anyone their code, but, _I need their help_, she reminded herself. Black Star took the letter and read it.

"Eh, I still don't get it," he said and passed it off to Tsubaki. Tsubaki read it and looked up at Maka.

"Is it really from Soul?" Tsubaki asked. Maka took the letter and sighed.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I really hope so."

"Why didn't he just see you?" Black Star demanded.

"Because he didn't," Kid started, "Means that whatever is going on is dangerous. So dangerous that he can't be seen with us…"

"That doesn't explain the mess in Maka's apartment," Liz stated. The entire group, except for Patty, was stunned. How could they have forgotten about that?

"Dammit," Maka cursed. Just as she thought that they were getting somewhere, they had forgotten that someone searched her entire apartment.

"Ah! Damn it all!" Black Star yelled. He ran his hand through his hair. "Can someone just tell me what the stupid letter actually says!?" Kid almost snickered. Maka looked at the letter in her hands before reciting,

"Hey Maka,

I saw everything. I will explain. Can't come back. I need time. Our first kiss. I love you.

-Soul."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: You didn't fool anyone...**

"Shit, shit, shit," Soul muttered. He knew going to Death City was a bad idea. He was going so fast on his motorcycle that he barely noticed that the sign said "Fresno City Limit." He had made it to the middle of California from the middle Nevada in three hours, when it should have taken him four. For the millionth time, he looked behind him. He didn't see anyone, anything, behind him. He looked back to his motorcycle and noticed that he needed gas.

"Shit!" He got off the nearest exit and filled up his tank as quickly as possible. He looked up at the sky. Night had fallen a while ago. He needed to get to Los Angeles as soon as possible. And at the rate he was going, he would be there in another two hours. They hadn't known that he was following them until Death City.

He had gone into his room to pick up a few things and that's when they saw him. They made a point by going in and messing up the entire place. His heart broke as he thought of the hell Maka must be going through. God, he missed her so much. He had been so tempted to just wait for her to come home. He needed her.

He wondered if she got his letter. He really hoped she had. Leaving that letter was a risky thing to do. He had to leave town and wait until they left so he could go back and drop the letter off. What he hadn't counted on was them waiting for him. They ambushed him just outside of Lord Death's barrier. Soul barely managed to get away.

He hadn't been able to transform his arms into scythes as nimbly as before. It bothered him that it physically hurt to transform. It was as if it was tearing at his skin. There was no one to resonate his soul with, so he had to rely on himself. But he couldn't really focus on that right now. They were after him, and the closest international airport was in Los Angeles.

He was about to merge onto the next freeway when a he saw a car, about a mile ahead, turn sideways and block the freeway. Two motorcycles joined the car. Soul slowed down and looked behind him. There was another car and two more motorcycles behind him. Soul cursed and stopped his bike.

He laughed at himself. He hadn't fooled anyone. They knew he was tracking them and they led him to Death City, where they knew he would go and pick it up before they did. He had been set up. Soul removed his helmet and turned off his bike. He got off just in time to hear footsteps behind him.

"You've given us such a hard time, Soul," a disappointed female voice said. Soul sighed.

"Yeah, I know," he responded. He knew now that they had let him escape five months ago. They knew that he would try and figure out what was going on. He smiled to himself. He looked over his shoulder and said nonchalantly, "Good to see you again, mom."

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**A/N: Dun dun duuun! I'm sorry that all I seem to do is give you cliffhanger after cliffhanger but do not fear! It shall all be explained soon; I hope. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed! Thanks to AkitaNeruVocaloid, a new reviewer! And I flipping love your story, LeprechaunGreen! Thank you to all my followers: **** 1rocker-chick, Amongthegreats, PrincessNeshh, crimsontouches, spiceypepper, and vivalarapture! I love you guys! Chapter 8 will be up soon :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello you amazing people! Thank you for making it to chapter 8! I really do appreciate all of you! Thank you thank you thank you! Please make sure to leave a review! And to all of you that have reviewed, followed, and favorited you're on my favorite people list xD And to LeprechaunGreen: It's all about scheduling and planning ahead :) I'm already starting chapter 13 for this story :) Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater D: Enjoy chapter 8: Wait, what?**

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Maka felt her father put his arm around her shoulders. It was 2:23 in the morning. She was only at her father's house because he had begged her to spend the next few days there. And, in all honesty, she didn't want to be alone. She'd had such a violent nightmare that her father had told her to sleep next to him for the rest of the night.

She'd missed her father. Yes, he had made a lot of mistakes but, he did love her. And it wasn't as if though she didn't feel his love. She laughed at herself. Here she was, a seventeen year old girl, curled up into her father's chest like some little kid. Images of her nightmare flashed in her mind and she flinched. Spirit felt his daughter begin to tremble and held her closer. He rubbed her back as she began to cry.

"It's okay," he cooed. "It was just a nightmare." Maka nodded against her father's chest. "There now," he said softly. "Everything will be okay, everything will be okay." Maka tried to focus on the even rhythm of her father's breathing. _Everything will be okay_, she repeated to herself.

It physically hurt Spirit to see his almost grown daughter in this condition. He wished her mother was here, but that woman never seemed to be around anymore. He felt Maka's breathing slow and eventually settle into a steady rhythm. He hadn't been able to hold his daughter like this in so long. Spirit cherished every second of this moment. Maka was in her last month of school. Then she would graduate and focus on becoming a death scythe herself.

He never intended for his daughter to inherit his weapon blood. He wanted her to be just like her mother. So many thoughts ran through his mind that he decided to forget them for now and sleep…

"_Maka, you have to get out of here, now!"_

"_No! Soul, I can't leave you!"_

"_Black Star, get Maka out of here!"_

"_Stay away from me, Black Star!"_

"_Maka, please, leave, now! I-"_

Maka opened her eyes slowly. Morning sunshine landed softly across the floor. She was alone on the bed. The smell of bacon and eggs drifted between floorboards and the door. She sat up slowly. _You what?_ Maka thought remembering the last time she saw Soul. The pain in her chest throbbed. She got out of bed simply because she had to.

"Morning, Maka," her father sang as she entered the kitchen. She offered a small smile; her father couldn't cook to save his life. She was touched by his effort. Maka stood next her father and took the spatula from his hands.

"You don't know how to cook," she reminded him. Spirit laughed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He let her take over the task of making breakfast but still stood beside her. They made small conversation, her father trying to avoid the topic of Soul.

"Dad," Maka started as they were setting the table, "about last night."

"Don't worry about it, Maka," Spirit said quickly. He really didn't want her to bring it up.

"I'm sorry." Spirit softened and pulled his daughter into a hug.

"You don't have to be sorry," Spirit spoke softly. "I'm your father. I'll always be there for you." Maka hugged her father back.

"Papa?" she asked timidly into his chest.

"Yes, Maka?"

"It wasn't a nightmare," she whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"Last night. It wasn't a nightmare. It was a memory." Spirit was taken back. All that screaming and thrashing was caused by a memory? He had seriously underestimated just how traumatizing the mission in England had been. Spirit couldn't respond with words. He just held his daughter until they smelled the bacon burning.

x

Black Star sighed in relief as he leaned into Kid's couch. He and Tsubaki were slowly making their way to creating a death scythe. The last mission hadn't been _extremely_ difficult; it was just nice to finally relax.

"If you're going to put your feet on my coffee table, put them exactly in the center!" Black Star rolled his eyes at Kid's whining.

"Whatever, I'll just take them off." Neither Kid nor Black Star really wanted to argue.

"Don't get too comfortable," Kid scolded Black Star. "We're going to Lord Death's to see Maka's fourth mission by herself." In response, Black Star sat up.

"When are we leaving?"

"In about half an hour." They were silent for a moment.

"How do you think she'll do?" Black Star asked seriously.

"It's hard to tell. Before, I would have complete faith in her. But, now, I'm not so sure. I'm just hoping she does well. You?"

"Ha! Maka may not be a star like me but she's a damn good second. I think she'll be just fine!" Kid smirked. He really hoped his friend was right.

x

"I brought popcorn!"

"Patty, this isn't a movie," Liz scolded.

"Who cares? I love popcorn!" Black Star said as he took a seat to Patty's left, taking a

handful of popcorn.

"You know," Liz began, "We're here because we want to support Maka, but what are you doing here, Professor Stein? You're not exactly the sentimental type."

"Observation," Stein said simply.

"Spirit," Lord Death called to the man who was curled into a ball in front of the wall. "She's finally made it." The group of seven turned to face the mirror.

Tsubaki sat down on the floor in front of Black Star; he put a hand on her shoulder. Kid sat in his father's chair with the Thompson sisters flanking him; Patty on his left and Liz on his right. Lord Death and Stein stood behind Patty and Black Star. Spirit sat on the floor on Tsubaki's left as the image of Maka walking through the crowded streets of downtown Los Angeles slowly appeared.

x

It was uncharacteristically cold for Southern California in May. At least, it was cold for Southern Californians. At sixty degrees Fahrenheit, Maka noticed people pulling their sweaters tighter against their bodies. She noticed mothers forcing sweaters onto their children. Maka was starting to feel more comfortable in her long sleeve-vest-skirt combo. The sun dipped behind the sky scrapers, making it colder than it should have been.

She put on her coat and continued walking around. The soul she was after was supposed to be in downtown. Maka was realizing that Los Angeles' downtown was much larger than any downtown she'd ever been to. After walking up a hill, Maka stood at the corner of Grand and 1st street. She looked around, trying to get her bearings. Signs everywhere said "Music Center this," "Music Center that."

Seemingly out of nowhere, crowds of people were walking towards her and past her. They were all dressed so well. Maka turned to see their destination and was confronted with the Walt Disney Concert Hall. There were huge posters for Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue hanging in the front of the building. The bottom of the poster read "Played by a surprise guest pianist". _He would've loved this_, she thought.

"Excuse me, miss," a cold voice sounded behind her. Maka turned quickly, her hands automatically going up in defense. The man simply put his hands up in surrender and smiled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," he said gently. Maka didn't have to look at his soul to see that this was the one she was looking for.

"If you surrender now, things will go much easier," Maka stated coolly. The older man laughed out right at her.

"You're going to take my soul?" He asked in between laughs. Maka stood her ground. "I don't see a weapon with you," he stated. "Oh, wait- he's hiding, isn't he?" The man continued to laugh.

"Shut up," Maka growled. "I'm my own weapon." The man's laughs immediately stopped, but were replaced by a sinister grin.

"That makes things so much more interesting," he whispered in her ear. Maka jumped back.

"It's not the form that counts; it's the soul," she told herself.

"Is that so?" The man reached for Maka's arm. His movement was so fast Maka did the only thing she could do, transform. The blade that came out from a little above her wrist cut the tips off the man's fingers. Blood squirted out on to the pavement. Maka tried to ignore the splatter on her face. The man showed no reaction. Instead, he examined his hand and laughed.

"Wow," he breathed, "You really are exactly how he described you, Maka Albarn."

"Who described me? How do you know my name?" Maka was barely able to hide the fact that she was shaken. She didn't have anyone backing her up. Her hands had begun to shake a little. She had to remind herself that if she broke down now, this man would kill her. Maka couldn't afford to die.

The man smiled and showed Maka his re-growing fingers. Maka had to do a double take. She looked at his soul. He was human alright. So, what was causing his fingers to grow back? He chuckled.

"Confused, are we?" Maka didn't answer. "I'm under orders not to kill you; apparently, you're a valuable tool." Maka swallowed, trying to loosen the muscles that had begun to constrict.

"Who ordered you?" She managed to choke out. The man shook his head. He continued to speak as he wiped off the blood from his fingers.

"You'll have to come with me to find out." Maka's eyes immediately started looking for a chance to run. "It's pointless," he said reading her eyes. Maka cursed as she noticed the men standing thirty feet away in every direction. Maka lowered her arms but was still on the defensive. The man took the opportunity to clean Maka's face.

"Shall we?" The man asked, offering his elbow. Maka stared at him, anger starting to build. "Trust me," he said menacingly, "You won't want to miss this." Surrounded, outnumbered, and against her better judgment, she lightly took his elbow. He smiled with fake kindness.

"That's a good girl," he cooed. The man led her into the concert hall. He continued to babble about trivial things such as the weather, politics, jazz, and its introduction to the classical world.

Once they entered the concert hall, Maka felt sick. Everything about this situation was all wrong in the first place but, her instincts were telling her that she needed to get out of there, now. Maka could feel herself becoming desperate. The need to run was quickly overwhelming her, especially when they made it to their seats. Maka really didn't want to sit. The man sensed her hesitation.

"If you don't sit, I have twenty men, all with the ability I have, ready to kill you at my signal."

"I thought you were under orders not to kill me," Maka tried to bluff.

"I'll be forgiven," he said nonchalantly. Maka's heart began racing as she sat down. She mentally cursed herself for convincing Lord Death that she was ready for a mission. They were sitting on the stage left side of the middle section in the twelfth row. The man continued his small talk. Maka silently prayed that Lord Death had sent someone to help her.

_You can take them, you know_, a voice that Maka hadn't heard in years said. _I can give you that power. _It was the voice of the black blood. Black Blood? Maka was only able to hear it when she was in soul resonance with Soul. And even then they had only used the black blood twice. It didn't make sense that she was hearing its voice now.

The conductor came out and introduced the orchestra and program. First on the list was Mozart. Half way through the performance the feeling in Maka changed subtly. There was a small pit of warmth forming in the pit of her stomach. Confused, Maka made sure she didn't show any sign of feeling different. As the orchestra got closer and closer to the end of the piece, the warmth she was feeling spread more and more into her body. It had a familiar feeling. She had felt it before. When? Where? She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice that the piece had finished and the entire audience was clapping. The only thing that pulled her out of her thoughts was a female voice speaking into the microphone…

The conductor was male…

Maka looked up to the stage. The woman on stage was tall, blond, and physically gorgeous. She didn't look particularly young but, there was an air of… energy? No, that wasn't it. Charisma? Yes, but, that wasn't it. Maka concentrated harder on the woman's soul. Authoritative. That was it. It was as if that woman told you to do something, you'd do it. No questions asked.

"I'd like to thank all of you, again, for coming. As some of you may know, I am this season's greatest donor," she gave a nervous, self-conscious laugh. Maka knew that it was a fake one. "I don't mean to brag," She said with another self-conscious laugh, "But, to brag," she said in a way that no one was offended. "I donated seven million dollars." She finished it with yet another fake laugh. The audience gave her a huge round of applause. Maka clapped once.

"You better act the part or things won't go nearly as smoothly as we have planned," the man next to Maka threatened in her ear. Maka clapped four more times.

"I would really like to thank the Philharmonic for giving me the greatest present in the world," she paused to seemingly collect herself. There was something off about this woman's soul. It felt familiar. Actually, there were a lot of things that Maka felt familiar with. It was in the shape of the woman's nose, her cheek bones, her tall, sleek structure. What the hell was it?

"It's been a dream of mine to see my son on this stage. And to think that the Philharmonic has made this dream into a reality, I'm truly grateful." Something sparked inside Maka's soul. Maka looked to the doors that lead back stage. Someone was behind there. Why couldn't she see their soul?

"Please give a very warm welcome to the surprise guest pianist," the doors on the side opened a little. "My son!" The audience applauded accordingly. The doors opened and a young man walked onto the stage. Maka didn't feel the tears run down her face. She didn't feel herself stand up.

"Soul Evans!" The woman walked over to her son and hugged him although he didn't hug back. Maka couldn't believe anything she was seeing or hearing. Her breathing became hitched.

Maka stared at him from where she was standing. He turned to face the audience and bowed twice. He looked awful. There were huge bags under his eyes. His body looked weak and brittle. He seemed as though he was barely standing up. Everything looked wrong though, to everyone else, he probably appeared very professional. But all of that aside, none of it was what concerned her the most.

Maka couldn't see his soul.

"Would you like to say a few words?" His mother asked him. Maka could see Soul physically resist the urge to roll his eyes. He walked up to the microphone and cleared his throat.

"Thank you," he said curtly. Maka, still standing, felt her knees go weak. Could it really be Soul? How? She couldn't see his soul!

"Better sit down, now," the man said tugging at her coat. Maka could care less what he had to say. Maka excused herself out into the aisle. Soul bowed again and began to make his way to the piano that was stage left. Maka was almost running to the stage.

Soul really didn't want to be there, but he couldn't fight them by himself. He had already tried that and they nearly killed him, twice. He looked out into the audience and saw a girl half walking, half running. _Must really have to use the bathroom_, he thought. He sat at the piano and waited for the piece to start. He looked back into the girl who had to pee.

She was closely followed by two men and there were another two blocking the exit. _What the hell, _Soul thought. The piece started just as the men caught up to the girl and began to drag her back. Soul struggled to make out the girl's face through the stage lights. _Something's not right, no shit, of course it's not right! _Soul argued with himself as his entrance quickly approached.

He began to play from memory as he watched the girl being dragged towards the back of the hall. He watched as she managed to free her mouth from one of their hands. She screamed at the top of her lungs. Soul stopped playing. That voice, it was a voice he was so positive that he'd never hear again. And all it said was one word before it was shut up by the man's hand again. His name. That was all Soul needed.

Soul jumped off the stage and ran to her.

"Maka!" He yelled to her. By now the house lights had been turned on and Soul could clearly see her. He didn't care that tears were freely streaming down his face. Her face was one he'd never thought he'd see again. Maka freed her mouth again.

"Soul!" She yelled. Maka had been cutting them over and over but they would begin to heal as soon as she removed her scythes and sometimes even around her scythes. Her clothes were nearly soaked in their blood. Soul caught up with them soon enough and couldn't hide his grimace as he turned his arm into a scythe.

"Maka! Drop your head!" Soul cut the arms off every single man holding onto Maka. She stood up and was pulled into a protective hug by Soul. She didn't have to look to know that they were surrounded.

"You couldn't just sit down and listen," Soul's mother said from behind Soul. Maka couldn't see her but she could feel her. Her soul had a presence that Maka had only felt once before. And that was when she faced the Kishin. Soul's tears were still falling as he held onto Maka.

"Step aside, Soul," his mother demanded. Maka could feel him tremble at the sound of her voice.

"No," Soul said into Maka's hair. Soul's mother began to laugh.

"Sometimes I wonder why I let you live," she spat. Maka flinched. Without any warning, Maka was hit on her right temple, Soul, on his left temple. The world began to blur. Soul reached out to Maka as the world faded into darkness. The last thing Maka felt was Soul's hand on hers…


	9. Chapter 9

**Oh my flipping burgers you guys are awesome! I am practically living off all the reviews! Seriously! I love every single one of you! Thank you so much! ****ありがとございます! Please keep it up! Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater :( Enjoy chapter 9: The Hunt Begins**

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The group watched as Maka was approached by a man in front of the concert hall.

"Lord Death," Stein breathed.

"I know," Lord Death responded.

"What? What is it?" Death the Kid asked.

"That man, he's not human," Spirit answered.

"What do you mean, not human?" Tsubaki asked.

"Yeah, he looks pretty human to me," Black Star countered. Stein just shook his head.

"Spirit, go with Stein and Justin. Get there as quickly as possible," Lord Death commanded. The two men were out of the room before Lord Death had even finished.

"What's going on?!" Tsubaki asked, desperate for an answer.

"What the hell!" Black Star's exclamation brought Tsubaki's eyes back to the mirror. The man's fingers were growing back. Every one was silent.

"Come on, Liz, Patty, we're going too," Kid said as he stood up.

"You can't go, Kid," Lord Death said in his real voice.

"Why not?" Kid struggled to keep a level head.

"This is part of a mission which I've been keeping a secret."

"Who the hell cares about that now!?" Black Star countered. "Maka's in trouble!"

"We've been keeping very close tags on this new organization," Lord Death continued, not fazed by Black Star's outburst. "And, if they're doing what I think they're doing, you five _need_ to watch what happens."

"What do you think they're doing?" Tsubaki asked with a quavering voice.

"They're about to reveal their end product, not to the world, but to us," Lord Death said, eerily calm. "We've known about this for quite some time. They didn't make it a secret. It was almost as if they knew we were watching. But, of course, they only revealed so much. We don't know the whole story, but so far it hasn't been anything that would cause them to be on my list. That is, until now. I purposely sent Maka knowing that they would take her."

The room was silent for a moment.

"You sent Maka on purpose!? What the hell?! How could you do that to her!? You bastard! I'd kill you if I could!" Patty was screaming at the top of her lungs. She was held back by Kid and Liz.

"Why would you send her?" Kid asked, still holding back Patty.

"Because they asked me to," Lord Death responded. Another wave of shock ran through the group.

"What the fuck!? Why would you do that!? They asked you to!? Bullshit! Let me go! I'm going to kick this guy's ass!" It took all four of them to hold down Black Star as he began to scream at the top of his lungs.

"Why?" Tsubaki asked above all the noise. Lord Death looked from the teens to the mirror.

"Watch," he commanded. The group slowly calmed down and turned to the mirror. There was a blond woman speaking on the stage. They saw Maka sitting, chewing her nail. The woman gestured to the side of the stage as she introduced someone.

The entire group sucked in a breath as Soul walked out onto the stage. Lord Death emitted a low growl.

"Damn them," Lord Death said menacingly.

"Soul," Black Star breathed.

The rest of the group watched as Maka was taken away by four men. Their eyes watered as Soul recognized Maka and began to run to her. Tsubaki and Patty sank to the floor, Kid and Liz to their chairs, and Black Star closed his eyes as Maka and Soul hugged right before being knocked out. The blond woman looked directly at the mirror. She smiled just before the mirror went blank. They group was now looking at their own reflections.

Tsubaki's sobs were the only sound in the room. Kid put his face in his hands.

"He's alive?" Liz asked barely above a whisper.

"I'm going to find them and rip the flesh from their bones," Lord Death growled.

"Where do we find them?" Black Star asked his tone matching Lord Death's.

"We have to assume that every place that Lord Death knows about has been abandoned since they've revealed themselves," Tsubaki voice was drained of all emotion. Liz agreed with her.

"So we have to start from scratch," Kid continued.

"Which means that we need to go to the concert hall and all the other places that they've been to," Patty finished.

"Get up, Tsubaki," Black Star said a bit kinder. Patty and Tsubaki both got up from the floor.

"Before you leave, listen to what I have to say," Lord Death said a little calmer than he had been. Everyone stood in an arc in front of him, waiting. "This is going to be a very difficult task, definitely worse than the Kishin. Your friends' lives are in danger. Luckily, if we're right about them, they like to take their time. That means we can thoroughly search every lead we get and catch up as soon as possible. Now I need to tell you why we've been following them.

It started when the Kishin's insanity was slowly taking over the world. It seemed like it was simply an increase in kidnappings across the United States. We chalked it up to the insanity wavelength. But then the Kishin was stopped and the kidnappings were still increasing. But there was no increase in kishin souls. We followed the missing person's trail and discovered that they were still alive. It turned out that every single missing person was part of a secret organization.

The organization is all about enhancing humanity, not through good deeds or morals but, through science. The missing people volunteered to be experimented on and the organization staged a kidnapping. We haven't been able to figure out what their experiments are, but every missing person is still alive." Lord Death looked at the faces surrounding him. They all had their poker faces on. Receiving harsh news was something you learned quickly in the DWMA. He felt his heart begin to sink. He didn't want to tell them what was next.

"Soul, the man that confronted Maka, and the men that tried to take her away all have no soul in their bodies."

Their poker faces broke. Confusion swept across Kid, Black Star, and Tsubaki. Fear took Liz and Patty. Lord Death continued speaking, "Mind you, this is completely new information for us as well. Stein and I saw it the moment that man came into the mirror."

"So," Kid began, "They've been experimenting with taking the soul out of the body and preserving it somewhere else while being able to keep the body alive." Everyone thought about it.

"Wait," Patty interrupted every one's thinking. "If the kidnappings are staged, does that mean deaths can be staged as well?"

"What the hell are you trying to say?" Black Star snapped.

"Just here me out," Patty pleaded. "It's just a thought but, could Soul have been part of that organization? Could he have staged his death to be experimented on?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello there! Thank you to every one who's reading this story of mine! You mean so much to me! Thank you to all the reviewers: **_CheezeMonster, AgataNei, Professor Maka, Mallon Dark Dragon, KawaiiHat, Bee, hannahgo, LeprechaunGreen, lovelygirl4everlife, Bri, kelisanimefreakmitchell, AkitaNeruVocaloid, spiceypepper, chloe200999, and vivalarapture_**! I really appreciate all your reviews! And a another shout out to all my followers:**_ vivalarapture, spiceypepper, snk1216, lovelygirl4everlife, kelisanimefreakmitchell, hannahgo, crimsontouches, arisaartemis, Six Ribbons, Professor Maka, PrincessNeshh, Mermain123, Elli990, CheezeMonster, Amongthegreats, AkitaNeruVocaloid, AgataNei, and 1rocker-chic_**! And since most of the followers also favored the story as well, let me just give a shout out to the ones who haven't had a shout out: **_FozyOz, Sailordeedlit, argyyle, and rdlacaj_**! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Disclaimer: I don't own anything :(Enjoy Chapter 10: The Hunt Begins, Part Two**

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Kid ran in front of Patty and took the punch Black Star threw.

"Soul wouldn't ever do that!" Tsubaki wrapped her arms around Black Star to prevent him from actually hitting Patty.

"Would you shut up and listen to her?!" Kid roared back, rubbing his cheek.

"On the contrary," Lord Death interrupted, "Soul would've faked his death to get away from the organization."

"What do you mean?" Liz asked.

"That blond woman, the one who brought Soul on stage, she's the head of the organization. She's also Soul's mother. Now, listen to me, and listen well, this is what we're going to do…"

x

"According to eyewitness, the suicide bomber ran straight to the stage soon after the main event started. Apparently, the guest performer was a co-conspirator as he ran to the aid of the bomber as she was being carried out by security. They managed to set off a series of small bombs that severely injured the security and themselves. Using the distraction, the duo escaped. The President has issued a nation-wide man-hunt for the terrorists. I'm now here at the scene to…"

"Can someone please shut that reporter up," Spirit mumbled to Stein. The trio was standing in front of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It was six in the morning; the sun was struggling to get through the buildings.

"The general public has to be told something," Stein replied. Spirit sighed. Police and detectives were coming in and out of the concert hall like ants. Everyone was so busy. Justin was never really listening to music. He kept his earphones in because he didn't want people to think he was willing to listen to them. But just this once, he took out his earphones. He had fought side-by-side with Maka and Soul. This case was striking a deep nerve with him.

"Gentlemen!" The trio looked to the left as a lean old man walked up to them and introduced himself as the chief of police. "You men must be from DWMA, am I right? Well, thank goodness you're here. I'll show you to the real security tapes. The ones my men have now have already been altered. I'm sorry to say it but, your students are now fugitives of the government. Now, please follow me."

The trio crossed under the yellow police tape and followed the chief of police. They were led to an SUV with dark tinted windows, the kind that obscure the outside world. All four of them filtered into the car. Spirit sat shotgun as Justin and Stein filled in the back seats.

The footage was new to all of their eyes. Spirit's hands curled into fists as he watched his daughter fight to save her life. After being freed of the men, the altered tape showed Soul and Maka making a run for it. Somewhere in all of their hearts, including the police chief, they wished that would've happened. However, Maka and Soul had been surrounded and knocked out. The tapes showed their unconscious bodies being carried into Mrs. Evans' Mercedes. And Mrs. Evans herself drove the car away.

"Can you run her plates?" Justin asked.

"Already have," the police chief answered. "Found the car abandoned in a parking lot up at Zuma beach. Nobody's searched it, though. "

"I don't suppose there are any cameras there," Stein mused. The police chief shook his head.

"Nothing but the eyes of the mountains," Spirit whispered. The chief of police sighed.

"Why don't you guys take a look at the scene, see what you can gather from it." The trio was led back and into the concert hall. If they had been there for any other reason they would have been stricken in awe at the massive structure. Not only impressive in size, but in architecture, the concert hall was absolutely gorgeous. The left most aisle was taped off as that was where the supposed crime took place.

The blood had been clearly altered to the eyes of Stein, Justin, and Spirit. Magic had been used to erase the blood that should have started at the beginning of the aisle; they had a witch working with them. Spirit cursed. The only blood was where Soul cut off the arms of the men who carried Maka.

"There's nothing for us to take from here," Justin stated. The trio searched the concert hall from top to bottom and came up empty. It was four in the afternoon when the trio finished. The chief of police gave them the real tapes and they called Lord Death.

"Did you find anything?" Lord Death knew it was a pointless question by the looks on their faces.

"Just where Mrs. Evans' car is. It was the vehicle that took Maka and Soul," Stein replied. "We'll head up there as soon as possible." Lord Death nodded and thought for a moment.

"Alright, Justin, I need you to come back with the real tapes. I also have something else for you to do. Spirit and Stein go search the car and the area for any more clues." And just like that, the group separated.

x

"Fuck…" Black Star whispered into his hands. Three months had passed and they had gotten absolutely nowhere. The five teenagers were finally back in Death City. After three months of serious searching and empty leads, Lord Death called the teens back for a break.

"Fuck…" Black Star said a little louder. "Fuck." His hands curled into fists against his eyes as the unwanted tears began to fall. "Fuck!" Black Star stood up and punched a hole in the wall.

"Now you've done it," Death the Kid said as he came into his living room with a tray of tea. He'd noticed that his OCD had dwindled during the past four months. Normally, he would've jumped at the fact that his living room was now asymmetrical. Now, he just didn't care. They had literally been running all over the country. And running all over one of the world's largest countries is not fun. Patty had said to be thankful they weren't in Russia. No one laughed at that.

The group had missed their graduation ceremony, but they still got their diplomas. They were official members of the DWMA fighting staff, even though they hadn't completed death scythes. Maka still graduated at the top of her class. Lord Death even graduated Soul.

The five teens sat around cooling tea, no one bothered to drink any. It was their first day on break and their spirits just weren't up. Every one's chest was heavy. Carrying a sad heart was tiring. Even Patty was sitting with her hands folded on her lap. After a couple of moments of unbearable silence, Tsubaki cleared her throat.

"Wh-why don't we go play some basketball?" She asked quietly. The group looked at her. Being the oldest, she felt it was her duty to try to lighten the mood. The Thompson sisters gave her a rueful smile. Kid tried to smile but it fell the moment he got it up. Black Star stood up and started walking toward the door.

"I'll take you guys on by myself and still win," he said quietly. The rest of the group followed him silently to the basketball court…

It was an hour or so past noon when the girls took a break. Black Star played Kid one-on-one.

"Hey, isn't Kid's birthday coming up?" Tsubaki asked. Liz smiled.

"It already past," Liz said.

"Two weeks ago!" Patty added.

"Oh," Tsubaki felt bad for not knowing it. "When was it?"

"August 8," Liz answered a little too quickly. Patty giggled.

"Liz knows everything about Kid," Patty half whispered to Tsubaki. "She's like a stalker!"

"I am not!" Liz denied but her cheeks were flaming pink with her blush. Tsubaki couldn't help but to laugh with Patty.

"What do you think they're laughing about?" Kid asked between breaths. He was watching Black Star who was looking for a way around him.

"I don't care," Black Star also answered between breaths. He feigned left and went right. Kid completely fell for it. Black Star took a shot and the ball fell through the basket. "Yes!" Black Star pumped his fist in the air, a huge smile on his face. "I won!" The boys turned to the sound of the girls cheering for Black Star's win.

They were just pretending. At the ages of nineteen, eighteen, and seventeen, they were doing their best to cope with their situation. They pretended that Maka wasn't there because she wanted to get ahead in her college classes. They were pretending that Soul was in detention for messing something up. It was easier that way. It helped them smile, even if it was just make believe. Just for this one day, they would fool themselves. Just for this one day, they would forget. Just for this one day, they would pretend to be happy…


	11. Chapter 11

**Just to be safe, let's rate this beginning M ^-^ Thank you to every one who is reading my story! Please review! Enjoy Chapter 11: What the hell is going on?**

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"Mother fucker! God damn it! You stupid bitch! This isn't what you promised me! Fuck you! Fuck you and your god damn evil plans! You whore! Go die in a fucking hole! I'll fucking ki-"

"Would you shut up!? All your screaming's not going to change the fact that you voluntarily came here!"

"This bitch didn't mention any of the things she's doing to me! I didn't sign up for this! She betrayed us!"

"It's your own damn fault for trusting her! Now shut the hell up," Soul was finished yelling at the man in the cell next to him. He rested his head against the wall. Sitting on the bed, he wrapped his blanket around him. Though the walls of the laboratory, a faint and constant scream could be heard. Soul covered his ears with his hands. All of a sudden, he preferred the man's rant.

His cell had three cement walls and one glass. He could see directly into the room across from him. And for now, that room was empty. When he first got here, every cell was filled, some were even sharing. He closed his eyes against the memory. Wrapped in his blanket he tried to shut out the world. He used to be able to distract himself with thoughts of Maka. But now, knowing that she was in the very place he never wanted to see again, he couldn't even bring himself to picture her face.

Soul brought his knees to chest and wrapped his arms around them. He allowed a few tears to fall. The night he'd seen Maka at the concert hall was the last time he saw her. His heart completely broke at the sight of her. His resolve, his determination, his meaning almost completely shattered. His first thought was that his mother had finally won. She'd finally gotten the one thing that could destroy him. He didn't want to think of all the horrible things they were doing to her. A tap on the glass brought him to attention.

x

"Eat."

"No."

"Eat, damn it."

"No." The man cursed under his breath and walked over to Maka. She didn't resist as he forced her head down and smothered her face in the food. She held her breath and refused to open her mouth. The man pulled her head out of the food and cursed again. Taking a hand full of the food, he forced it down her throat. Maka gagged and choked as she was forced to swallow the food.

"Next time you don't eat," he whispered in her ear, "I'm shoving a damn tube down your throat." He took the plate and left. Maka sat in the chair, unmoving. Of course, she would move, if she could. Her ankles, waist, and wrists were all strapped to the chair. A little while later a maid came in to clean her up. Maka guessed that the she was around her age. Maka said nothing as a wet rag softly wiped at her face and neck.

The maid's hands shook slightly. Both of them knew that they were being watched. Maka looked down at the maid. She saw the beginnings of bruising on the maid's face and neck. She wanted to say something, anything.

"Please, just eat the food next time," the maid whispered as she rinsed the rag in a bucket of water. Maka pretended not to hear her. The maid took the rubber bands off Maka's hair and began to clean off the food that had gotten in it. Using her hair as a shield, Maka spoke to the maid.

"It's been laced with something," Maka whispered back, "I can't eat it." She heard the maid sigh.

"You're making my job harder than it needs to be," the maid snapped at Maka. She stood and walked to the door. "Eat the damn food," she said as she walked out. Maka sat there stunned. She didn't know why she expected something else.

She didn't know how long she had been in this room. It was like a normal bedroom. There was a bed, a closet, a desk with a laptop. There was also a table, at which Maka was supposed to eat, and that damn chair that strapped her down. Her door was glass. She could see that she was at the end of a hall way.

At the other end of the hall was an elevator; she could see everyone that came to that floor. Sometimes it was people in white robes, sometimes it was Mrs. Evans, and sometimes it was the experiments. The people who had no soul. During the process of extracting their soul, they resembled zombies. When the doors began to open, Maka looked down at the table. She didn't care who was stepping out. She heard the glass door swish open and close.

"Maka, dear," said a voice that she had gotten too familiar with. "I've got a surprise for you!" Maka continued to look away. "Aw, don't be like that! We've gotten so close in the last ten weeks." Maka closed her eyes. She refused to cry in front of this woman. Mrs. Evans walked around the table to Maka. Gripping Maka's chin harshly, she forced Maka to face her.

"Open your eyes," she commanded. Maka didn't feel the slap she'd just been given. All she felt was the pressure in her head rising. An overwhelming dizziness forced Maka's eyes to open. "There's a good girl." Maka tried her best to focus her eyes. "Now," Mrs. Evans began as she took off the straps, "You're going to change into something nice and do your hair. You have one hour."

Maka walked over to the closest as soon as Mrs. Evans left. There were all kinds of dresses, everything form huge ball gowns to beach dresses. Maka slowly pawed through all the dresses. She had a few possibilities when she found one to wear. The dress was a very light blue with a white sash around the waist. The strapless, straight cut top was intricately beaded with tiny, clear beads that dwindled to nothing as it got closer to the bust.

Searching through the drawers in the closest, Maka found a pair of really small white, pearl earrings, white gloves that stopped a few inches from her shoulder, white nylon tights, and baby blue dress shoes with a small heel. Maka did her hair first and put it in a tall pony tail. Her bangs were long enough to pin back with a small bump. She stripped down to her underwear and put the tights on first. She had decided on wearing tights because of a scar that ran across both legs, in the middle of her shins, and the dress wouldn't cover them. The dress went a little past her knees. It was tight at the waist and flared a little. She put on the accessories that she found.

Maka was just about to put on the dress shoes when she decided against them. She searched the closest until she found them, her black combat boots. She felt at ease when she had on something she knew she could run in. Then, thinking in terms of comfort, she took off the high gloves. She found her usual white, fighting gloves that stopped at the wrist, and put those on instead. When she was done, she sat on the bed.

With her back straight and her shoulders squared, she stared out the glass door and waited. Maka had no way to tell time and the minutes seemed to pass by slowly. Her mind was just about to enter the wandering stage of boredom when the elevator door opened. Mrs. Evans walked toward Maka in a long, sleek, strapless black dress. Her hair was in waves that reached her lower back. She smiled as she saw that Maka was dressed and ready.

"Would you look at you," Mrs. Evans greeted as she opened the door. "You look so adorable, like the daughter I never had." Maka stared at her with a blank face. "Well," Mrs. Evans forced another smile, "Let's go." She held the door open for Maka. For a moment, Maka was stunned. In the ten weeks she'd been there, she had never once left that room. She stood up shakily and began to walk toward the door. She noticed Mrs. Evans grimace as she noticed Maka's shoes. That small grimace gave Maka a tiny sense of satisfaction.

Maka crossed the threshold with her head held high. Mrs. Evans smirked and took the lead. Maka followed her into the elevator. The elevator descended three floors, then six, then nine. Maka stopped counting after twenty-five. She was expecting to be at the center of the earth by the time they got out.

"When you see the surprise I have for you, do not run to it. You must keep calm. Just follow me, understand?" Mrs. Evans asked Maka.

"Yes, _mother_," Maka said sarcastically. Mrs. Evans laughed.

"There was a time you really wanted that," Mrs. Evans responded. Maka flinched. She remembered exactly what she was talking about. Unfortunately, this wasn't Maka's first encounter with Mrs. Evans. The doors finally opened and Mrs. Evans took the lead again. Maka followed her down the hallway and around some corners.

"Are you ready?" Mrs. Evans asked as they finally reached oak French doors. Maka could read that there were at least fifty two souls in the next room. She nodded. Mrs. Evans smiled and opened the doors to a Victorian-styled ball room. Inside the room were over four hundred guests dancing and eating and laughing.

x

Soul was sitting in a corner table towards the back of the hall, his arms crossing over his chest. So this was the grand ball his mother told him about. It sucked. The people there were all products of this stupid organization or people interested in it.

"Bettering humanity?" Soul murmured to himself.

"Oh, don't be like that," the voice sitting to Soul's right joked. Soul sighed and closed his eyes. "Being immortal _is_ something to celebrate. They're the first successful batch!"

"Shut up, Wes," Soul whispered to his older brother. Wes patted his younger brother on the shoulder.

"Well, this party is for you after all," Wes said with a smug smile on his face. Soul looked at his brother.

"What do you mean?" Wes' smile grew.

"You were the first successful immortal, bro. Didn't you know?" Soul's arms fell from their place across his chest. His brother maliciously played on his reaction. "But, of course, you know that you're also the first immortal to die. I mean, you knew that, didn't you?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Wes?" Soul's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Don't you know where your soul is, _Soul_?" Soul's heart race began to accelerate. The front doors opened and two women walked in. "Speak of the devil," Wes said cheerfully. "There's your soul right there!"


	12. Chapter 12

**THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY 21 FOLLOWERS, 18 FAVORITES, 29 REVIEWS, AND 2142 VIEWS! SUKIDESUYO! HONTOUNISUKIDESU! THANK YOU! Now, here's the chapter you've all been waiting for! Please, if you read this story, leave a review! I thank you greatly!p.s, I wont be able to post until next saturday! I'm so so so sorry! Enjoy Chapter 12: The Memories of Old...**

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"_This one has gotten pretty bad. Black Star and Tsubaki are struggling. I'm sending you guys as motivation really. You know how Black Star can be," Lord Death concluded. The five other teens either smirked or laughed._

"_Aww, come on, Lord Death, Black Star can't be doing that bad. We should let him finish this on his own," Soul suggested. It was the beginning of October. England was nothing but rain and fog now. And rain and fog were so not cool. _

"_I agree with Soul, father," Kid added._

"_Oh, come on guys, England's not that bad!" Maka tried to lighten the mood. Soul smiled at her. This girl could look at him and immediately he'd feel better. _

"_This kishin soul is the equivalent to four souls. If you guys go, each weapon can get a soul that all of you need," Lord Death countered. Soul and Kid's shoulders slumped in defeat while the girls jumped in joy. On their way out, Liz and Patty began talking about all the shopping they could do in Paris. Kid had to remind them that they were going to England, not France. _

"_Let's go to our tree," Soul whispered into Maka's ear, taking her hand. Maka nodded, softly blushing. It was the tree where they first met, made their secret code, had their first kiss, started dating. It was mid-afternoon when they got there. Maka sat down at her usual spot at the base of the tree. Soul sat next to her and wrapped his left arm around her waist. Maka rested her head on his shoulder. The couple sat silently content for a while. _

"_Maka?" Soul asked softly._

"_Mm?" Soul shifted so that they could look at each other. A look of concern crossed Maka's face. He was about to tell her something important. The sun had begun to set casting a soft orange glow across their world. _

"_Maka," he began, "I love you." This wasn't the first time he'd said it but, it felt appropriate to him._

"_I love you, too, Soul," Maka said confidently but with curiosity. What was he getting at? Soul stared into Maka's eyes. They were eyes that were brilliant, bright, deep, understanding, caring, eyes that loved him. Soul kneeled in front of Maka and cupped her face in his hands. Their hearts began to race in anticipation and uncertainty. _

"_Maka," Soul said her name as if it was the only that kept him alive. Her breath was staring to become irregular. _

"_Marry me."_

_Maka's breath stopped. Marry him? Marry Soul? She was only sixteen. She shouldn't be thinking about marriage now. But, looking at Soul, staring into his eyes, she knew he was serious. He wanted to marry her. _

"_Soul," was all Maka could say. Soul moved his hands into her hair._

"_I'm not saying to marry me now. Hell, I'm not saying that you have to marry five years from now. I'm just asking you to eventually marry me." As their eyes watered, Soul closed the gap between them and rested his forehead on hers. _

"_Soul," Maka struggled for words as her tears fell. She couldn't give him an answer, not now. _

"_Maka, please?" His voice was desperate, a tone she had never heard him use before. Her heart broke a little. His tears fell on her cheeks. Maka was stunned. She couldn't even move. She felt Soul take a deep breath before looking her in the eyes. He smiled ruefully._

"_Think about it," he said before kissing her forehead and then standing up. He held a hand out to her. "Let's go home."_

_x_

_It was well after dinner when Maka got the courage to enter Soul's room. He was sitting at his piano scribbling away at sheet music. She smiled at his back. _

"_Soul?" She asked softly. At the sound of her voice, Soul jumped and began collecting the sheet music before quickly stuffing it under his pillow. He cleared his throat before speaking._

"_Oh, uh, hey," he managed to stutter. He smiled at her laughing at him. The sound of her voice gave him courage to walk to her. She took a good look at his eyes and what she saw was enough for her._

"_About earlier today," she began on a serious note. Soul stiffened. It was a risk, a major risk, asking that of her. "I can't answer right now."_

"_I know," Soul replied quietly. "I know, but I'm not taking it back." Maka felt her chest explode. She took the one step that separated them and kissed him. _

_His hands were warm as they trailed up and down her arms. She shuddered slightly at his touch. Her hands roamed his muscled chest. There was nothing that could separate them. He took her bottom lip in his teeth and tugged slightly. She allowed her tongue free will as she explored his mouth. They moved towards the bed without anything having to be said. But, like always, she slipped at the most inappropriate times. They were falling and they didn't care. _

_They fell onto the bed and Maka relished the feeling of Soul's weight on her. Soul managed to free his hand from her waist and pulled on the blankets at the end of his bed. They were under the covers, kissing and touching. Her heart was racing in her chest. His mouth left hers in search of new skin. He kissed her cheek all the way down to her collar bone. Her hands tangled in his hair. She gasped as he slipped a finger underneath the waist band of her skirt. Her heart was ready to jump out of her chest. She wasn't ready for anything like that! She was about to tell him to stop when he chuckled against her neck. _

"_Were you about to let me?" he asked, his voice breathy and deep. Just the sound of his voice was enough to send her over the edge._

"_N-no," she stuttered. "Don't laugh at me!" She smacked his shoulder. He laughed some more, making her laugh with him. He picked his head up and looked at her. His eyes were piercing. He picked up her left hand and kissed it. Maka knew that this was right. She could feel that she belonged with Soul. There was no doubt in her mind._

"_Tomorrow we leave to England," he began softly. He kissed her hand. "Please__be careful," he said softly, staring at her hand the whole time. With the same hand he held, she turned his face towards her. She leaned up on her right elbow and kissed him. _

_The kiss was long, deep, and sensual. She pressed her chest against his. Shivers ran down her spine as he moaned into her mouth. Her arms wrapped around his neck and held him close. Yes, she thought, this was right, he was right. Soul wrapped his arms around her waist and brought them to a sitting position. _

_Her lips now did the exploring. She kissed and sucked his neck. His hands roamed her back but stopped in their path as she sat down on him. He inhaled a sharp breath as he felt her through their clothes. She moaned into his neck, feeling him grow underneath his pants. _

"_Maka," he breathed out. Her hands found themselves under his shirt. She felt every inch of skin, every muscle. Her hands stopped at the scar. Her heart clenched at the memory of how he got it. She looked into his eyes, hands still on the scar and made up her mind. To hell with waiting! She'd marry him right then and there if she could. Seeing her expression, he cupped her face in his hands._

"_I will always protect you," he told her, his voice filled with conviction. _

"_I-" she began, but was cut off with a kiss. _

"_You can tell me when we get back," he smiled. "Come on," he continued, laying them back down, "Let's go to sleep." She curled into his chest and fell asleep in his arms._

_x_

"_Soul what's in the box?" Maka asked. It was five in the morning, not even the sun was up. The couple was at their tree. Soul held the box in both hands. He looked down at the hole he'd already dug. _

"_In this box," he began, "Is something that I need to give you but, not now." He looked at her carefully. She stood with her chin up, expression guarded. "If we come back from England, I'll give it to you."_

"_If?" Maka's façade broke a little. "What do you mean 'if'?" Soul took a deep breath. He placed the box in the hole and started to fill it with dirt._

"_What do you mean 'if'?!" Maka was close to yelling. Soul stood when he was finished and placed his hands on her shoulders. He smiled a small smile._

"_If," he whispered before giving her a kiss softly. He took her hand as he said, "We have to go catch our bus to the airport."_

_x_

_The kishin was definitely more than Black Star and Tsubaki could handle. It was nowhere near Asura level but it was putting up one hell of a fight. The trio of meisters cornered the kishin soul into an abandoned shipping building. _

"_Guys!" Maka called out to her partners. "We need to do a team resonance!" The kishin noticed their powers growing and took the opportunity to lunge at Kid. The gash that Kid sustained was enough to shock him out of the resonance. His stomach was an open wound from hip to hip. _

"_Kid!" Liz turned to her human form and began to use Patty as her weapon. Black Star rushed Kid out of the building before returning to the fight. _

"_Maka," Soul called from his weapon form, "We need to use witch-hunter!" Maka nodded and avoided another attack. Patty was now using Liz as her weapon. _

"_Maka!" Tsubaki called out from her weapon form, "We need to fall back! We should let a death scythe handle this." The kishin soul let out a screech that shook the building's foundation. Cracks appeared along the walls and ceiling._

"_Fuck it!" Maka yelled. "Let's get out here!" Liz and Patty were the first ones to run out; their attention completely focused on helping Kid. Black Star and Tsubaki were next. Maka and Soul were last and almost out the door when a hand caught Maka's ankle and pulled back. Maka fell face first and broke her right wrist trying to break her fall. _

_Maka rolled onto her back and swung Soul in a wide arc, cutting herself free from the kishin. She stood as quickly as she could and ran for the exit. Trying to help Maka, Black Star threw Tsubaki in ninja star mode at the kishin. The kishin caught her and bent a point backwards before throwing her back at Black Star. Tsubaki's screams were all that filled Black Star's ears as she transformed back into human form mid-air. He caught her and noticed that her right leg was twisted at an unnatural angle. Black Star hated to do it but, he left Maka alone and rushed Tsubaki outside. _

_Maka was fighting the kishin face-to-face, new hatred in her eyes. The kishin grabbed the shaft of Maka's scythe and pushed her against the wall. It was a battle of wills now. Maka tried to free herself with all her strength. Soul was pouring all his energy in to Maka. But the kishin was too strong. Maka felt Soul beginning to bend. _

_Soul didn't make a sound. He knew Maka would give up if she heard him scream. The battle of wills continued for a second later and Soul was suddenly bent in half. His screams violently filled the air. Maka couldn't breathe. She stared wide-eyed at Soul's broken form. The kishin smiled and pulled back his fist. Right before the kishin could hit Maka, Soul transformed back into human form and pulled Maka out of the way._

_Soul ducked them underneath the kishin's arm and pushed Maka towards Black Star's reentering form. The kishin screamed as its fist hit the cement wall; small pieces of the ceiling began to fall down. Maka stumbled before turning around to face Soul. He was standing but his spine was obviously broken. The kishin recovered and pulled Soul's shoulders down as it jammed its knee into Soul's already broken back. Soul bit his lip so hard that he nearly chewed it off. The kishin picked Soul back up and held him in a head lock. It screamed again and this time large pieces of the ceiling began to fall. Maka eyes never left Soul's. _

"_Maka, you have to get out of here, now!"_

"_No! Soul, I can't leave you!"_

"_Black Star, get Maka out of here!"_

"_Stay away from me, Black Star!" _

"_Maka! Go now!" Soul looked at Black Star. He could see the hesitation in Black Star's eyes. Maka took a step toward Soul and the kishin twisted Soul's head violently to the right. Maka's foot stopped mid-step. She was stuck. If she went to him he died, if she left him, he died. Tears began to form. No. No, this wasn't happening. Soul smiled at Maka._

"_I-I won't die here," he promised. _

_Maka felt a painful blast of energy as she was hit with Black Star's soul wavelength. She crumpled over Black Star's shoulder._

"_No!" Maka screamed. The building was falling faster and Black Star was having trouble avoiding it. Maka was kicking and screaming against Black Star. He hit her with another one of his soul's wavelength. Maka's vision began to blur. She looked towards Soul. He gave her his classic, toothy grin. Maka's heart-broken scream were too much for Black Star. _

_They made it out of the building just as the entire building collapsed. Time moved in slow motion. Through the falling debris she looked into his eyes. His face read confident but his eyes read scared. He was scared. She reached for him. The kishin smiled as it began to twist Soul's neck. The final pieces of the cement building collapsed on them. _

_The resulting wind and dirt that blew had no effect on Maka. Black Star set her on her feet when the air cleared. She was still reaching for him. She walked back to the now leveled building. Maka sunk to her knees and screamed his name at the top of her lungs. She screamed and screamed his name. She kept screaming until help came. And even then, she'd stopped screaming his name and just begun digging for him. _

_Everyone was cut up and bruised. Patty and Liz had managed to stop Kid's bleeding. He'd have nothing but a scar. Patty had a black eye and Liz had a hairline fracture in her left forearm. Tsubaki's right hip had been dislocated and was popped back in at the scene. Black Star had a dislocated his left ankle and wrist. He was also missing a few teeth. Maka fractured her right wrist and had a hairline fracture in her left collar bone. And Soul was dead…_

_Soul was dead…_

Soul _was_ dead.

Even though she had refused to believe that he had actually died, there was a part of her who seriously doubted that he was alive. She usually told that part of her to shut up. And she was happy she hadn't listened to that part. But, when she saw him at the concert hall it was as though she was dreaming. The fact that she had woken up the next day by herself, in a strange bedroom, only seemed to confirm that.

But now, for the second time, she was faced with the only person she cared about. As Mrs. Evans led her to the main table, her eyes never left the red eyes of the boy with white hair who was standing at the back of the ball room. And she couldn't help herself; she smiled.


	13. Chapter 13

**Let me start by thanking everybody: **_1rocker-chic, AgataNie, AkitaNeruVocaloid, Angrybird432, AnimeFreakLover54, CheezeMonster, Chucklemaniac, Elli990, Fairy-Tail's-Dragon, Hikari x Takeru, Mermain123, PrincessNeshh, Professor Maka, Six Ribbons, arisaartemis, crimsontouches, hannahgo, kelisanimefreakmitchell, lovelygirl4everlife, pinkfrye, snk1216, spiceypepper, Mallon Dark Dragon, Oreh, Sailordeedlit, argyyle, rdlacaj, miki, KawaiiHat, bee, chloe200999, LeprechaunGreen, and, the very first one to review/follow/favorite, VIVALARAPTURE_**! Without you guys this story would have never gotten to where it is today :D I am eternally grateful! Please leave a review! Now, please enjoy Chapter 13, Someone To Hold On To**

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Black Star twirled the rings in between his fingers. Sometimes they would glow faintly, other times they would shine so brightly that he had to put them back into the box. He sighed and flopped onto his bed. Damn Soul and his complicated orders. Black Star closed his eyes against the memory.

"_I'm going to split my soul into three parts." _

"…_What?" Soul sighed._

"_Here," Soul placed a ring in Black Star's hands. It was a delicate ring. The band was thin and silver and it had a single small tear drop shaped diamond. "This is the second part of my soul. This first part is in another ring that I've hidden at the tree. You'll know when to get that ring. I'll tell you. Make sure you get there before Maka. She can't know. After you have both rings, guard them with your life. I'm literally putting my life in your hands." Black Star stared at his best friend, trying to comprehend what the hell he was saying. What the hell was going on? Soul, seeing the confusion, simply shook his head._

"_I can't tell you now," Soul said softly. "All you need to know is this and that I'm sorry. Tomorrow is the last time you'll see me until I can figure out a way to come back. Don't tell Maka, please? She needs to stay completely out of the loop." Black Star closed his fist around the ring._

"_Shouldn't you be trusting Maka with this?"_

"_No, because if she's taken, they'll question her, and she sucks at lying. It's better if she doesn't know anything." Black Star shook his head. None of this made any sense but he understood the need for secrets. Black Star wasn't one to question about someone's past. Black Star looked at his best friend. Yeah, he would keep this secret. Soul's composed façade broke and his eyes began to water. _

"_I'm getting rid of the last piece of my soul tonight," he whispered. "I'm scared, Black Star." When Black Star pulled Soul into a hug, Soul fell apart. The young men supported each other one last time. Soul didn't want to leave. He loved his friends; he loved Maka. But things were becoming too dangerous to stay with them anymore. At any moment they could hurt or kill his friends and it would all be his fault. It was one in the morning when Soul left Black Star's room. _

That night, the building collapsed, and for the next eight months Black Star pretended that his best friend was dead. But for the past three months, that possibility was more real than ever. When Maka got the letter and explained to them the secret code, Black Star knew that was his cue to go the tree. He went as soon as he dropped off Maka at her dad's house that same night. He dug all around the base of the tree until he found the small tin box.

Inside there was a note addressed to him. It read, "You're my best man." Black Star's eyes had filled with tears as he looked at the wedding rings. He had been able to wear them on a chain around his neck for a while but then they started to glow randomly. Black Star was forced to keep them in the box they came with. He hid Soul's wavelength with his own. Looking at the rings, he sighed and put them away just as he heard a faint knock at his door. He shoved the box into his pocket before saying, "Come in!" Tsubaki poked her head around the door and smiled softly.

"Dinner's ready," she spoke quietly. Black Star nodded but as soon as she left he called out to her. When she didn't return he got up to look for her. He found her in the kitchen, leaning over the sink, shoulders slumped.

"Tsubaki?" She sniffled and wiped at her eyes.

"Do you want cheese on your tacos?" She asked through her tears. Black Star went to stand beside her. He draped his arm around her shoulders and she immediately sunk into his chest. He was thankful for his growth spurt a few years back. He was now able to rest his head on top of hers. He'd be nineteen in a few months and then she would turn twenty one. He sometimes wished that he was older. He and Kid had a joke that they both liked older women. But whatever the age, Tsubaki was the one he was in love with. They had had their moments, but neither of them had confessed to the other yet. And with what was going on, Black Star doubted they would have time for a confession in the near future.

That didn't mean he didn't plan to. He did. He had thought of so many different ways to bring it up but, the timing was always wrong. And now, here was Tsubaki, crying on his chest because she missed her best friend. She was worried and scared. And they had absolutely no leads. Everyone was on edge and frustrated. They couldn't seem to get a break. Black Star felt his own despair build up, and he hugged Tsubaki fiercely as he shed a few tears of his own.

Tsubaki felt that they were having one of their moments. She felt so incredibly safe in his arms. Her heart went out to Maka. Losing that one person who always seemed like a constant variable must've been so horrible. She only hoped that where ever Maka and Soul were, they were together.

x

"Kid! The food's here!" Patty called up the stairs to the future Grimm Reaper. Kid sat in his study, admiring the symmetry of it all. It had been such a long time since the word symmetry had even popped into his head. He faintly heard his name being called, too many thoughts were clouding his head. At the forefront of his thoughts were the Thompson sisters, more importantly, Liz. Yes, Patty meant a great deal to him but she was like his little sister. Liz, on the other hand, was more than that. And unlike Tsubaki and Black Star, he needed to tell her now.

What happened with Soul and Maka could've happened to anyone. In a way, he was relieved that it hadn't been him or Liz that the kishin had caught. He was terribly depressed in losing his friends, but he was terrible happy that Liz had made it out alive. And not just alive, but lived with him. She was with him. He could still talk to her and hold her, if he wanted to. And did he want to hold her. She was the first person he saw when he woke up in the hospital. She was the only person he wanted to see. That had been the first time he had hugged her. He wasn't one for physical contact.

His father had said that things were only going to get more dangerous. He didn't want something to happen to Liz and regret not telling her how he actually felt. For being the future Grimm Reaper, he didn't have the confidence of living that Black Star had. It was why, when Liz opened the door to his study, he blurted out everything that was on his mind.

"I love you, Elizabeth Thompson," he said nonchalantly, sitting in his chair. Liz didn't seem to be fazed by his confession at all. He didn't expect her to, either. Instead, she leaned against the wall.

"I love you, Death the Kid," she said with the same nonchalance. They were both extremely happy. And at the same time, they were both relieved. Kid nodded and stood from his seat. He, like Black Star, was also happy about his growth spurt since their fight with Asura. He was now taller that Liz. He and Black Star had always been a little jealous that Soul had always been taller than Maka when he wasn't slouching.

Kid walked over to Liz and bent to place a soft kiss upon her lips. It was just the slightest bit of pressure but it carried the weight of all their emotions. They went down to the kitchen not bothering to hold hands. Patty had the Chinese take-out all set up on the counters and was busy with serving her own plate. To anyone else, they newly formed couple didn't look any different than they had five minutes earlier. But, Patty could notice the way her older sister seemed to lean toward Kid. She could see the way Kid stood just a millimeter closer to Liz than he had before. They were tiny, subtle differences that only a sister could see. Liz noticed Patty's smile seemed genuine as she piled noodles onto her plate. Liz nudged Patty in the side.

"Shut up," Liz whispered to her sister.

"I didn't say anything," Patty giggled. Kid smiled at their interaction. If there hadn't been such a depressing tone coloring everything they did, this moment would've been nice, perfect, almost. The trio settled into the couch as Kid turned on the TV.

"In other news," the anchor women said as Kid began searching the guide for something to watch. "The terrorists of the Walt Disney Concert Hall have been sighted in Ontario, Canada. Video surveillance cameras caught the duo walking into the international airport and boarding a private jet. The CIA is now questioning the Canadian government and its involvement in the attempted terrorist attack. The Canadian government denies any involvement and is willing to help identify the owner of the private jet and any participating parties helping the terrorist." The trio sat silently watching the screen. Their appetites had fled. Patty was the first to put her food down. Liz followed suit and the sisters both looked at Kid. His hand snapped his chopsticks in half.

"Patty, start packing," Kid began quietly, "Liz, call Black Star. I'll go talk to my father."


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you to all the new people! I thank you greatly! Just a heads up, things are about to get a little tricky. I'm starting college in a week. I wont' be able to post for a long time. I have the next two chapters done but, that's about it. I'm sorry. But, please, enjoy Chapter 14, We're Getting Nowhere.**

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"You damn DWMA brats think that you can just waltz in here and demand access to all out information!?"

"Yes." The head of the CIA scoffed at Kid's confidence.

"Chief! They've been spotted in Singapore," someone yelled.

"Get Singapore on the phone!" the Chief yelled back. Kid stood patiently with his thumbs hooked onto his pockets. He was flanked by the Thompson sisters, naturally. The Chief looked back to Kid. "You're Death's kid, huh?" Kid gave no response. The Chief sighed. "Alright, follow me."

"So this is the owner of the jet?" The Chief nodded. "This is Loretta Evans," Kid repeated.

"Yup, she's Soul's mother. We questioned her as soon as the Disney incident happened. She cleared all our tests. How could she know what her son was up to, when he had been missing for over ten years? Anyways, we dismissed her as an accomplice. Seems like we were wrong. She's MIA now. We can't find her."

"What about her husband?"

"Who? David Evans? He's been dead for about six years now."

"How did he die?"

"Car accident. Loretta cashed in one hell of a life insurance policy, over a billion after taxes. Of course, she was a suspect in that case as well, but again, she checked out clear."

"Why was he so rich?"

"Don't you know? You're Soul's friend."

"He never talked about his past."

"Well, his father made weapons, weapons that could destroy our enemies in the blink of an eye. So in order to keep his weapons on our side, we were paying him one hell of a check every week. After he died, Loretta had threatened to sell them if we didn't find her son. We almost did, but that was when Death came and threatened us as well. He didn't want Soul to be found. We choose our lives and took the weapons anyways. We said it was government property."

"Did you take all the weapons?"

"Sure did."

"What about prototypes, blueprints, sketches? Did you take those?"

"We took everything that looked like a weapon. What are you getting at?"

"I'm saying that Loretta kept one weapon. She kept the most important one." The Chief sat in silence.

"If Loretta has a weapon, then she's going to try to sell it the highest bidder. You guys have a lot of enemies," Kid continued. "I'm pretty sure that Iran and Russia are trying their best to find her as well."

"You don't think I know that?!"

"Kid," Liz whispered, "Don't get him angry." Kid ignored her.

"I think that for all your talk about being the best of the best, you're weak," Kid spat as he stood from his chair. "David Evans isn't dead. He's working side by side with his wife. She's the face and he's the brains. Their son is nothing more than a show piece. He's the demonstration of what they can do."

"Chief," someone called out, "They've been spotted in Sri Lanka!" The entire work force became silent.

"How the hell did they make it to Sri Lanka in under an hour?!" The Chief stormed into the work room. There were a multitude of computers and monitor screens. On the largest ones were the images of Soul and Maka in Sri Lanka.

"Chief! Optics just confirmed that the Singapore images are fakes!"

"I've got a report that they've been seen in Tibet!"

"Optics confirmed that Sri Lanka is a fake as well!"

"What the hell is going on here?" The Chief muttered under his breath. Kid went to stand behind the Chief.

"They're toying with you. The sightings are about to get more outrageous," Kid said.

"Reports are coming in from South Africa!"

"How do you know this?" The Chief asked Kid suspiciously. He sized up Kid. A tall, lanky guy dressed in all black, perfectly symmetrical. Although the three white stripes in his hair were distracting.

"We've been doing our own investigation. We know things you don't. But, you did manage to help us," Kid said staring at the images of Soul and Maka popping up on the screens.

"Are you planning on sharing that information?" The Chief asked sarcastically.

"Yes, but, not here." The Chief raised an eyebrow. "This is something we need to tell the cabinet and the President himself, directly."

"Algeria! Egypt! France! Sweden!" The reports kept flying in at an impossible rate.

"Optics confirmed fakes on South Africa, Algeria, and Egypt!" The Chief sighed.

"Shit," he muttered as he looked at Kid again. "Alright, I'll gather everyone up. Meet us in the Oval Office in two hours." The Chief left Kid to start a report.

x

"Is everyone here?" Kid asked. The CIA Chief nodded. The President sat at his desk with his hands folded in front of his chin.

"I was told about Death's son," the President started, "But who are the other four?"

"These are my weapons," Kid began, "And-"

"I'm Black Star," Black Star interrupted. "This is Tsubaki, she's my weapon." Kid sighed and walked over to the windows. He wrote Lord Death's number on the glass and stepped back as the image of his father appeared, all false appearances dropped.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Lord Death began. "I have met with many of you before. But, for those of you who do not know me. I am Lord Death, the Grimm Reaper. Two of my students have been kidnapped. They are the exact two that you have named terrorists."

"We know this already," the President interrupted. "What is the weapon that Loretta has?" Lord Death looked at every one in the room. He knew most of them would not believe what he would say.

"Immortality," he said simply. "They have found a way to preserve one's soul in a vessel outside of the body. This, along with magic involved, allows the human body to regenerate even after the most brutal mutilation."

"Magic?" The Secretary of Defense scoffed. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Do you think we'd be here if it was a joke?" Black Star growled, his voice dangerously low. The Secretary of Defense moved farther away from Black Star. Tsubaki stood defensively behind Black Star.

"This is the first time I've dealt with you," the President said. "I know you've been here longer than this country has," he said directly to Lord Death, "But I need proof."

"Did I say you could take your eyes off me?" Black Star said seriously. The President turned to look at him, offense written clearly on his face.

"Learn who you're talking-"

"Tsubaki, transform," Black Star interrupted the President. Tsubaki didn't question Black Star and transformed into her kusarigama form. It surprised everyone in the room except for Kid, of course. "Ninja star mode," Black Star whispered. As Tsubaki transformed again, the people who ran the government stood in awe. "One last time, Tsubaki. Demon sword," Black Star whispered softly. As she transformed one last time, Kid smirked.

"Patty, Liz," was all he had to call out. The sisters looked at each other before transforming. They knew Kid didn't like being shown up. Instead of hold the twin pistols, Kid was holding two semi-automatic, 22 caliber, sixteen inch barrel, black assault rifles whose hilts conformed to his forearm. Black Star smirked as Kid rested the guns on his shoulders.

"Lucky for you," Black Star began speaking to stunned faces, "We have two pieces of Soul's soul." Black Star placed the tiny tin box on the President's desk. The President opened the box to see the wedding rings. He looked up to Black Star with disbelief.

"These are holding his soul?" he asked incredulously.

"Do not mock us, Mr. President," Kid growled. "These guns don't shoot bullets," Kid finished his sentence by aiming the guns at the President. In no time at all there were two red dots shining on Kid, one at his heart, the other at his head.

"Don't mock _us_, Kid," the President replied easily. Black Star took the rings back.

"Normally it would pretty simple to track someone's soul wavelength but, Loretta has gone through great pains to hide, not only Maka and Soul, but her own soul and the ones of those close to her," Lord Death continued. "So, unless you want an army of immortal soldiers knocking at your door, I suggest you lend us your help."

"Wait, I thought you were going to offer to help us," the President asked. He looked at his cabinet for assurance.

"No," Kid picked up for his father. "Unfortunately, our methods are a little outdated. We've been trying for the past few months on our own, but technology is so advanced that we keep running into it. We're asking the country with the some of the most advanced technology in the world to help us."

"You just happen to get something good out of it, too," Black Star finished. The President rubbed his face in his hands.

"This isn't something we can go to Congress with," he sighed. "You two," he pointed at Kid and Black Star, "Go stand by the window." When they were out of the way, the President looked at the twenty three other people in the room. "We'll vote here and now. All those in favor, raise your hands."

Kid's shoulders slumped and Black Star cursed as only six people raised their hands. The President looked back to the meisters.

"I'm sorry; the United States of America will not help you," the President solemnly said. "We will, of course, continue to search for your two students but only under the pretense that they are terrorists." With that, the cabinet was dismissed. Lord Death left the window. Black Star stormed out of the room with Tsubaki quick on his heels, and the Thompson sisters transformed back into their human forms.

"Thank you for your time," Kid whispered to the President right before leaving the Oval Office. On the plane ride back, Kid took Liz's hand and held onto it tightly.


	15. Chapter 15

**Please please please forgive me! I am so so so so sorry that I haven't posted in so long! There have been family issues and then college started xP I'm being overwhelmed with work. I'm going to try my best to keep up this story. Thank you so much to everyone who is reading, following, favoriting, it means so much to me. I love you all. I really do! Now, please enjoy chapter 15, Facts.**

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"You stupid little bitch," Loretta growled as she kicked Soul's kneeling form in the stomach for the sixth time. Soul, despite the beating he was being given, managed to smirk. "Where the hell is the rest of your soul?" Soul openly laughed at his mother.

"Did you think you were the only one to separate souls?" Soul asked with sarcasm thick in every word. Loretta brought her heel down on his shoulder. He would've collapsed if not for the chains holding him to the wall.

"You ran away after what we did to that little meister of yours," Loretta lifted Soul's head up by his hair. "Lucky for you, she doesn't remember any of it. I wonder how she would react if she found out that you agreed to it." Soul's smirk fell and was replaced with a scowl.

"You leave her alone," He growled. Loretta smiled viciously.

"What did you say again? 'She's the only friend I've ever made; I want to be close to her?'" Soul spat his blood-filled spit at Loretta's face. She dodged it easily and slapped him.

"You tricked me," Soul growled. "I was nine, dammit. I didn't know what the hell you were talking about!" Loretta laughed.

"And to think that was almost ten years ago! You know your birthday is coming up. If things had gone as planned, I was going to throw you a birthday party. Nineteen years ago, I gave birth to the worst thing that could've ever happened to me," Loretta finished with hate practically dripping from her mouth.

"Fuck you," Soul chuckled. Loretta twisted Soul's hair, pulling out a good amount.

"Tell me," she whispered, "Where is the rest of your soul?" Soul looked his mother in her eyes. He swallowed the blood that had accumulated in his mouth.

"It's with Lord Death," he whispered back. Rage completely covered Loretta's face.

"You lie," she seethed. Soul's smirk returned.

"Nope," he said almost cheerfully, "Lord Death has it." Loretta stood running her hands through her hair. She took a deep breath and placed her hands at her hips as she began pacing the small cell. She shook her head. To think her own son would pull a move like this was a surprise. She hadn't thought that he would be willing to go to such lengths. She stopped her pacing, and looked down to her broken son. There was a time when she really did love her son. But that love had been destroyed years ago. She sighed.

"I guess I'll go pay a visit to that precious meister of yours," Loretta said softly as she left the cell. The pain that shot through his heart was worse than the beating he had gotten. He hung his head in despair. He apologized to Maka. He said his goodbyes to Maka. If they managed to get out of this, she would leave him. He had been lying to her since the beginning. He had created a persona that he could no longer keep up. She had fallen in love with someone who didn't exist. And he apologized. From the very depths of the soul that he no longer possessed, he apologized.

Maka was back in the room they had kept her in since they took her. She didn't know how many days had passed since the ball. She was lying on the bed in a pair of grey sweats and a green tank top. She stared at the ceiling, imaging patterns that weren't there. She looked at her right arm. The three cuts that had been made there were deep. The scabs were starting to itch. They had been open flesh wounds so she knew better than to pick at them. She was still trying to wrap her head around all the events that had happened.

_She entered the ball room and the only thing she saw was Soul. Her whole body had reacted to the sight of him. He looked healthy and strong. Her entire body filled with the same warmth she had felt at the concert hall. She couldn't help but smile. She blindly followed Mrs. Evans onto a small stage. _

"_I know that some of you are skeptical of the idea of immortality," Mrs. Evans started, "So for that reason, we have a new solution for you." Maka snapped out of her trance. Immortality? It was the first time she had heard of it. She looked back to Soul only to see him being escorted to stand next to her. _

"_We can now put your soul into a living person. As long as that person lives, you will live as well. Yes, we understand that there are a lot of risks involved that you can't control but, it is an option. We have the first pair right here!" She gestured to Soul and Maka. _

_Maka's heart was racing. She was scared of the words coming out of Mrs. Evans' mouth. She was also excited to be so close to Soul again. There was about three feet of space between them. The urge to reach for his hand was overwhelming. She wanted to feel with her own hands that he was as healthy as he looked. Maka felt the tears threatening to fall. _

"_We would advise against this option," Mrs. Evans continued. "Let us show you what happens." Two men came to stand behind Maka. One held her body as the other stretched out her right arm with her palm facing the audience. Maka didn't squirm. She looked to her right as Soul stripped of the jacket to his tuxedo and rolled up the sleeve on his right arm. He held his arm out just as Maka's arm was being held out. _

_She wanted to call out his name but she was too scared and too confused. Soul didn't once look at her. Instead, he hung his head. His shoulders shook slightly as the tears fell from his eyes. Maka felt her own shoulders begin to shake. Why wasn't he looking at her? How did he know what to do? Why was he here? Why had he been in the audience? Maka looked back to Mrs. Evans who was now holding a scalpel. She came to stand at Maka's right, blocking the view of Soul. Mrs. Evans brought the scalpel to Maka's arm and cut her arm in three swift swipes. Maka tried her best not to scream against the pain. Instead she bit her lip as small whimper escaped her mouth. _

_Mrs. Evans had expected the same exact wounds to appear on Soul. That was what was supposed to happen. Instead Soul's arm was a slight pink where the cuts should've been. It was as if he had scratched too hard. Soul looked at his arm and sighed in relief. Loretta had a brief panic attack. Her son had sabotaged her plans. She knew for a fact that she had placed his soul into Maka ten years ago. He somehow managed to take most of it back and hide it somewhere else. Loretta faced the audience._

"_Well, it seems that something has gone wrong," she said politely. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience," she finished by bowing slightly. Loretta took her son by the arm and lead him out of the room. Even then, Soul didn't look at Maka. Maka was then lead to a small infirmary. She received a few stitches and was then put back into her room. _

So Soul's soul was in her, not all of it, but enough for it to react to its original owner. Did that mean every time she had felt warm and comfortable with him, it was just his soul reacting to his body? Is that why they could soul resonate so easily? Was that why she loved him so much?… Maka rolled onto her side and curled into a ball. The tears fell silently.

The hardest part was knowing that he knew. He had known the entire time that a piece of his soul was inside her. There was a stinging pain in her chest right where her heart should be. She wanted to feel angry and betrayed. She wanted to feel the despair of being lied to for most of her life. But all she felt was a longing for him. Her entire body ached for him and she wondered how much of it was actually her. At that point she didn't care. She just wanted to hold him and hear him breathing.

Maka heard the door to her room open and close. She didn't bother to open her eyes as the sound of someone sitting down reached her ears.

"It seems that you've come to some conclusions," Mrs. Evans said softly. "Do you remember when we put Soul's soul into you?" Maka shook her head against the bed. Loretta sighed. "Shall I tell you?" Maka kept still and waited. Loretta stood from the chair and sat at the foot of the bed.

"You and Soul had just been paired as weapon and meister," Loretta began, "He was so happy. You see, he'd never fit in at home. We were all musicians and, although he was wonderfully gifted at piano, he didn't want to play. He wasn't very apt to the sciences and mechanics like his father. He began to ostracize himself…" Maka sat up. There were tears in Mrs. Evans' eyes. Whether they were crocodile tears or not, Maka felt almost sorry for her. Maka stared at the floor as Mrs. Evans continued.

"And soon we all began to ostracize him. He was the disappointment. But out of everyone, I treated him the worst." Loretta looked at Maka. "I did love my son," she said earnestly. "When I was pregnant, my husband had begun to see other women and had actually started a couple of new families with them. Every time I saw Soul's red eyes, I saw my husband's eyes. And I hated him.

When David came to me with his idea of immortality I thought he was crazy. And on top of that he wanted to use Soul as his first test subject. It was the first time that David was even looking at Soul as his own son. I couldn't say no. And then Soul found out he was a weapon. It was something he was good at. So when he was paired with you, I invited you over to our house. Do you remember? You used to come quite often." Maka nodded her head. She remembered. She used to call Mrs. Evans 'mom'. It was mostly because her own mom was always gone. But, it was also partly because Soul didn't call her mom.

"One day you came over and David made you guys something to eat. After a little bit, I called Soul out of the kitchen and left you by yourself. We left you alone knowing that you would eventually search for Soul. Soul had actually agreed to it, you know. Granted all I told him was that it was a new way to become closer friends. He jumped at the opportunity. He said that you were his only friend. He just wanted to be close to you.

Anyways, the process is extremely painful for both people. Soul became scared when he saw how much pain you were in. David had left me in charge and left the house. I couldn't stand to hear both of your screams. So, I left as well. When I came back, Soul had managed to put you in a bed in one of the guest rooms. He was weak. For god's sake, he was only nine. I thought that was all that needed to be done. When I asked him if he finished it he just nodded. I believed him.

Later that day your father came to pick you up. You were still asleep and we just said that you guys had been running around in the garden. At the ball, I thought that he had managed to take out some of his soul from you. But, reminiscing like this, I don't think he ever put all of his soul into you. I'm pretty sure he cut it off at one point and lied to me. Three days later he ran away. Yours was the first house we wanted to check, but you lived in Death City. Lord Death didn't allow us to go in. He said that Soul wasn't there.

David was angry. It was his first test subject and it had gotten away. A couple of years passed and this immortality business was really starting to take off. David faked his death and I went to find Soul. You guys would've been around thirteen. Instead, Soul found me. He told me to leave him alone. He said that he was happy where he was."

"That was right before we fought the kishin," Maka murmured. Loretta looked at Maka. "He went missing for a few days. He said that he needed to take care of something. I never questioned it." Loretta nodded before continuing.

"And then around two years ago, his grandmother became ill. She was the only one in our family that Soul actually loved. He came back to see her on her deathbed. I don't know what happened between them. But, he was the last one she saw. She died with Soul at her bedside. When he came out, he told me to stop looking for him. I couldn't do that. Our organization had gotten so large. There are many skeptics so we needed our first experiment to become reliable. He knew that the safety Death City had brought him was almost over. He spent a whole year running from us. We finally caught him in England. It'll be a year in ten days since we've had him.

We kept him for a while but we finally let him escape. We thought that he would go to where his soul was. At the time we thought that was you. We messed with you to see if it would get him to go to you. But he never saw you… He left you and we caught him again. You should've had some kind of reaction. That was the first time his soul had been away from his body for so long."

"I did," Maka whispered. "I hallucinated about him. It felt as though my chest was about to explode," Maka kept whispering. Loretta nodded.

"So, that's my story," Loretta concluded. "There's no more room for regret. My son hates me and I don't blame him." Loretta was almost to the door when Maka spoke up.

"October twelfth," she called out. "You took him on October twelfth." Loretta turned to Maka.

"So?" Loretta asked.

"You took him on his birthday," Maka answered coolly. Loretta stood stunned.

"Yes, I suppose we did," Loretta said to the floor. "Well," Loretta continued, "Your dinner will be here shortly."

"Wait!" Maka called out again. "Can I see him? Please?" Her voice was so desperate that anyone who hadn't had enough experience being heartless would've said yes.

All Loretta said before leaving the room was, "No."


	16. Chapter 16

**Guys, I'm sorry to say that I have no previously written chapter after this one. I will try my best to find the time to write and upload. Thank you, thank you, thank you to every one! I love you all! I really do! I know I say it a lot but that's only because it's true! 3 You guys keep me going! Please review :) Please enjoy Chapter 16, What Now?**

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"This is nice, isn't it?" The answering silence was deafening. Though they were at a dinner table, the sound of forks against plates was absent. Maka stared at the cooling food in front of her. It didn't look too appetizing to her. Right across from her was Soul. Soul wasn't eating as well. They were both sitting with their heads down, hands folded in their lap. There were so many questions running through Maka. She could feel the tears on the edge of her waterline. Loretta was sitting at the head of the table with Wes to her left.

"I think the food is wonderful," Wes said even though he hadn't eaten anything either. There was a person missing from that table. Wes was hesitant to begin eating without him. Even Loretta hadn't touched her food. Maka noticed the slight shake in Loretta's hand as she reached for her wine glass. It was Thanksgiving… Suddenly the dining room door banged loudly against the wall. David Evans stumbled to Loretta.

"You're in my seat," he growled. Loretta silently moved to her right to sit next to Maka. Maka sized up Mr. Evans, the one man who was single handedly pitting the world's nations against each other. He was tall and lean with white hair and red eyes; it was almost as if Soul was an exact copy of him. He smelled faintly of alcohol and was still dressed in his white lab coat. Wes tried to smile at his father.

"We're glad you could come, father," Wes began. He used his blond bangs to hide his eyes as he spoke to his food. "Especially mother. We know you're very busy, thank you." David snickered. He looked around at the table. And laughed.

"What the hell, Loretta?" His eyes settled on Soul. "Even when we were a family, we never ate together for Thanksgiving." Loretta cleared her throat before speaking.

"Well," she began slowly, "I thought maybe we could try something different this year." Her voice was small and weak. Maka was shocked to hear it coming out of Loretta's mouth. David looked around the table, eyeing the food, the decorations, the wine. He scoffed at it all.

"I have somewhere I have to be," he said getting up from his chair.

"David, please, don't go," Loretta panicked. David leaned toward his wife.

"Let me rephrase it then," he said in her face, "I have some_one_ I have to be with." Everyone in the room felt the sting of the verbal slap Loretta had just been given. Loretta stood and slapped David across his face before walking toward the door. David caught up with her and grabbed her wrist. He violently turned her around. She twisted her ankle.

"You think you can hit me and get away with it?!" He gripped her arms hard enough to bruise and shook her.

"Let go of me!" She yelled back as she tried to break free from his hold. David was about to hit Loretta when he felt the edge of a blade against his throat.

"Let go of her," Wes growled. "I won't hesitate to slit your throat." David chuckled.

"You little whore," he said to Loretta, "You even fucked your son." Wes swiftly slid the knife across his father's neck. Loretta gasped as David's blood fell on her. David let her go and held his neck. A few moments later, he was able to speak again.

"Now, look at what you've done," he scolded Wes. "Your mother just bought that dress." David walked back to the table and wiped the blood away from his neck. He left after that. Wes went and held his visibly shaking mother. He shushed her and petted her head. Once she could walk again, Wes led her out of the room.

Maka was turned around in her seat. She had silently watched the scene unfold. Now, she was just staring at a closed door. It wasn't until the shock had worn off did she realize that she was finally alone with Soul. But, she didn't turn around.

"That's pretty much how it's always been. I never thought I'd see it again," Soul said quietly. Maka turned to see Soul staring at his food. "Every time, I was always the last one at the table. I would still finish my food, though. My grandmother made sure of that. She would say, 'Soul, darling, you won't be getting any ice cream if there's still food on your plate.'" Soul gave a halfhearted laugh. "Ice cream was all it took to get me to eat through my tears." His voice wavered. "Even now," he choked on his tears, "I'm waiting to hear her voice." Maka wanted nothing more than to comfort him. His shoulders shook as he cried. She opened her mouth but no sound came out.

"I'm sorry." His whisper caught her off guard. She had enough. All her walls broke down.

"_Sorry_?" Soul looked up to see her eyes burning with too many emotions to name. His walls had broken a long time ago. "Sorry for what?" Soul couldn't take the force of her stare. He looked down at his hands at a loss for words.

"Let me guess," Maka continued, "You're sorry I had to see that? No? Or how about you're sorry that I've been here for almost half a year? Not even that? Oh! I know! You're sorry that you faked your death? Right? That had to be it! You're so sorry for all the pain and suffering you've put me through, right? You're sorry for every single night I've spent crying myself to sleep? How about you be sorry for putting your damn soul in me!? How did you think I would react to finding out that little piece of information?! Does this mean everything was a lie?!" Maka was on her feet, pacing back and forth. Half way through, she had begun to cry. But at the mention of everything being a lie Soul stood from his chair. He slammed his fist on the table, effectively stopping her pacing.

"A lie?" He asked, his voice low. "You think everything was a lie?!" His voice was suddenly louder than he had intended. Maka stared into his eyes.

"Wasn't it?" She asked in a small voice. "Isn't it the reason that we've become so close, why we can soul resonate so easily?" Soul was more hurt hearing this, than at her being angry with him.

"Bullshit," he growled. "Do you really think that you fell in love with me because half of my soul was in you? It didn't matter to me where my soul was! We paired to be meister and weapon _before_ my soul was in you. That means we were already compatible! What about when we made our code? Or the time we got lost in the woods? Who the hell held your hand when you got scared? Until the day I pretended to die, who the hell was the _only_ one who held your hand when you were scared!? Who was the only one who would get you out fights and patch you back up?

Now, I know I've let you down. I know you feel betrayed. But, believe me, everything I did for you was for you only. I never had any ulterior motives."

Soul took a deep breath. He and Maka were in a staring contest, her green eyes against his red eyes.

"Where's the rest of your soul?" Maka asked quietly.

"In our wedding rings." Maka's breath caught in her throat. Without his eyes leaving her, Soul walked around the table and caught her just as her legs gave out. They both sank to the ground. And all of a sudden, Maka was like an addict who hadn't had a fix in a long time. Her arms were around his chest, gripping him close to her. She buried her face in his neck and breathed in his sent.

He smelled the way he'd always smelled. Soul wasn't feeling any different. His arms were almost crushing her to his body. He knew her body; she fit perfectly into his. For a moment, the young couple forgot where they were. All they knew was each other. That was all they needed to know.

Loretta stood in the doorway watching the couple comfort each other and gave up. She turned and began walking away.

"Get rid of them," she ordered her assistant.

The next thing Maka and Soul knew was that they were losing consciousness, again...

Maka woke up to find her face on cold stone. She sat up, confused. One moment she was in a sealed off dining room, the next she was in…a cave? Yes, she confirmed she was in a cave. She heard footsteps and was quickly on her feet, her body automatically going into defense mode. She relaxed when Soul entered the cave with a bundle of sticks in his arms.

"Hey, morning," he said nonchalantly.

"Morning?" Maka asked. "Soul, where are we?" Soul looked out the cave entrance and sighed.

"Mm, Montana? Maybe Canada?"

"Canada, huh?" Maka went to sit next to Soul. Soul held her hand.

"Looks like we've got a lot of walking to do."


	17. Chapter 17

**I deserve every ounce of hate! I am so so so so so so so so so sorry! This college thing isn't going as I planned. I'm struggling to pass my classes and I'm incredibly homesick. Dx Please forgive me! I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to post a new chapter! This story is going somewhere, I promise! I won't even ask for reviews because I feel so horrible about not being able to post a chapter. Please enjoy Chapter 17, Damn it All**

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"This is fucking stupid."

"You're fucking stupid."

"How the hell was I supposed to know that we weren't in Canada?"

"Why did I even listen to you?"

"See? This is your fault."

"Shut up."

"So, how do we get back to the DWMA if we're in Peru?"

"For now, just keep running." The duo was running away from local police for stealing. It went against every moral code in Maka's body, but they were hungry. And, if they wanted to stop World War Three, then they needed to get back to the DWMA. It's just that they were in Peru. They had been now for eight days. They were in their normal attire, which blatantly put them aside as foreigners. Right now, the Peru local police didn't care to know who they were. If they were caught they'd be separated and put on trial. They needed to get to a country where they hadn't done something criminal. And, going North, the next countries were Ecuador and Colombia. If they could just make it to the embassy and contact Tezca Tlipoca, the Death Scythe in charge of South America, they would be alright. If only they could shake the damn local police!

"Quick! Through here!" Soul led them off the dirt road into the thick brush. The vegetation was starting to slow them down when Maka told Soul to transform. Soul panicked.

"That'll just make our trail clear to them!"

"It doesn't matter! We need to put distance between us!"

"Maka, I can't! Just keep running!"

"Do it, Soul! They're catching up!"

"Maka, I can't!"

"Damnit Soul! We don't have time for this!" Branches clawed at their arms, legs, and faces. A stray twig caught Soul's cheek and Maka's cheek began to bleed with his. He would love to transform into his scythe form but, like he kept telling Maka, he couldn't.

"I'm serious, Maka! I can't transform anymore! I'm so sorry! I want to so badly but I can't!" Maka almost stopped running but Soul took her hand and urged her forward.

"Why can't you!?" Soul hesitated before answering.

"It's because my soul's not in my body anymore! My body is just a body now. There's nothing special about it!" A twig caught Maka's face but only her's was the one to bleed. "Now, just keep running!" The duo ran in silence for a while until Maka remembered that she could turn into a scythe. She hadn't done so in half a year but she was pretty confident she could turn her hand into one at least big enough to clear their path a little.

"Soul! Let me take the lead!" Soul turned to see that Maka's right hand was a scythe. He had known Maka was a weapon since the very moment she found out for herself. He simply nodded and let her take the lead. Clearing the brush away significantly helped their pace. Within another few minutes they had completely lost the local police and covered their tracks. They kept walking for a few hours. When it had been dark for some time, Maka stopped Soul with a tug of his hand.

"Soul," she said quietly, "What do you mean that you can't transform anymore?" Her voice was small and scared. Soul looked her in the eyes and placed a hand on her cheek.

"I mean exactly what I said before," he began softly. He kissed her forehead. "Don't worry about it. I'm still able to protect you. No one is going to hurt you, I prom-"

"-Don't." Maka cut him off. "Don't make promises you can't keep," she whispered. Soul swallowed dry saliva and nodded. He had fallen through on his promises before and look where it got them. It was near midnight when the young couple stopped to sleep. The ground was hard but they were getting used to it. Maka wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. That night, the couple slept with space between them.

xXx

"You know this is going to be our first christmas without Maka and second christmas without Soul?" Tsubaki semi-asked their group as they all helped decorate a tree in one of the town's plazas. Both Kid and Black Star remained quiet.

"I know," Liz stated. Patty was busy trying to see if she could put the star on top by running and jumping. It wasn't working. She jumped and crashed into the tree. It shook violently causing a lot of the decorations to fall to the floor.

"Damnit, Patty!" Black Star yelled. "Stop doing that crap! We have a damn ladder, use it! I want to get this over with already!"

"Hey!" Liz yelled back, "Stop yelling at her!" Every one was on edge. They were no where near close to finding their friends. And at this point, there was a very good chance that they were dead. It kept getting harder and harder to keep faith. And here they were, in the beginning of the second week of December, missing two of their group, a group that had been together for years. There was nothing else to be said. Depression hung in the air; it was inescapable. Patty gave up on her fake cheery self. Her shoulders slumped. She had been hoping that if she acted normal then maybe everyone else would too, but that wasn't working. She walked up to Black Star and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Black Star. I'm just being annoying. Please don't be so angry with me." Black Star softened.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too," he whispered. The group finished the rest of the tree in silence. Afterwards, Patty left the group. She walked around a near by park for a while. Multiple times she cried silently. There were so many happy people here, mothers with children, fathers excited to go home from work, students laughing and stressing out for finals. _We should be like this,_ Patty thought. _We should be in college, or getting closer to becoming death scythes_. Her chest was heavy. All of a sudden she wished for a mother to cry to. Liz was the closest thing she'd ever had to a mother figure. Patty never knew their mother; she died giving birth to her. Her father never got over his wife's death and blamed it all on Patty. She remembered the beatings she used to get.

She didn't have a happy childhood, far from it. Liz was always the one to step in and protect her. All they had was each other. She remembered the turning point, when they both found out they had weapon blood. The beatings took a turn for the worse as their father became scared of them. That's when they ran away. Patty was only eight. For years they hustled on the street. She hid all her scars with a smile. She hid all her pain by being the happiest she could. But she was still slowing falling apart, as was her sister. The street life was taking it's toll and they couldn't keep it up for much longer.

That's why it felt like they were being giving food off a silver platter when they met Kid. He was their godsend. They finally had a life worth living. They had food every day, an education, hell, they lived in a mansion! But, most importantly, they had people they can count on. These people had always been there for them and they did their best to be there as well. Patty felt so helpless.

Maka and Soul were the constant glue between Kid, Liz, and herself and Black Star and Tsubaki. Patty could feel that this friendship was slowly deteriorating. Maka and Soul had been there for them way too many times and never asked for anything in return. _What would they think if they came back and us two groups were no loner friends with each other? How devastated would they be? How disappointed?_ Patty eventually found her way home and slowly went to her room. Liz took one look at her and knew that this wasn't the time for questions. It was late and they were tired. Patty simply stripped off her clothes and slipped into bed. Liz followed suit and turned off the lights.

"Liz?" Patty whispered.

"Yeah, Patty?"

"I love you, you know?"

"I know, sis. I love you back." Liz's voice wavered and Patty cried silently as her older sister cried softly...


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